Mexico vs. England: Why Thomas Tuchel's Three Lions need to improve despite reaching quarter-final after 3-2 Azteca thriller

England emerged triumphant successful a five-goal thriller against Mexico astatine Estadio Azteca successful the aboriginal hours of Monday morning, earning a hard-fought 3-2 victory to scope the quarter-finals astatine World Cup 2026.

The Three Lions were warned of the altitude and ambiance earlier heading to the iconic Mexico City stadium, but they weathered an aboriginal tempest earlier taking a two-goal pb successful the archetypal half, courtesy of a Jude Bellingham brace.

However, erstwhile El Tri's Julian Quinones pulled 1 backmost for Javier Aguirre's side, the lucifer turned connected its caput and Mexico remained connected apical for the remainder of the contention - adjacent much truthful erstwhile Jarell Quansah was sent off.

Thomas Tuchel's men yet held retired to triumph astatine the Azteca, but their show was acold from convincing erstwhile again, particularly considering that they are up against Erling Haaland's Norway successful the quarter-finals.

Here, Sports Mole takes a look astatine wherefore England inactive request to amended after beating Mexico if they are to triumph the World Cup.

Mexico 2-3 England: What went good for Thomas Tuchel's Three Lions

The main affirmative to gully from Monday's triumph is that England held their ain successful the aggravated ambiance astatine Estadio Azteca, and erstwhile they were reduced to 10 men successful the 2nd half, they avoided crumbling - adjacent if it was lone by a constrictive margin.

Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was called upon to marque 3 saves against Mexico, denying Raul Jimenez connected aggregate occasions with a beardown hand, but the world is that the co-hosts were incapable to manner galore clear-cut chances.

Quinones volleyed location Mexico's archetypal aft the shot fell kindly to him pursuing a escaped kick, portion Jimenez dispatched his country's 2nd from the punishment spot, and Tuchel volition beryllium pleased that his squad were capable to woody with the barrage of crosses they faced, making 48 clearances, their astir successful a World Cup crippled since 1990.

Another affirmative is that the country's talismanic figures, Bellingham and Harry Kane, were capable to marque the difference, conscionable as they were successful the radical stage.

Most nationalist teams would beryllium delighted to person 1 superstar successful their squad, but the Three Lions person 2 individuals that tin triumph matches with moments of magic, thing that has dragged them implicit the enactment much than once.

Mexico 2-3 England: Improvement is needed earlier the quarter-final

Despite the affirmative effect successful challenging circumstances, it indispensable beryllium remembered that Mexico are acold from the strongest squad astatine World Cup 2026.

Aguirre's men were unbeaten successful 26 matches astatine Estadio Azteca earlier England's visit, but the fearfulness origin astir El Tri astatine the crushed was largely built connected a myth, and the Three Lions were the toughest hostile Mexico faced determination since Brazil successful 2003.

It is besides existent that the World Cup co-hosts had not conceded a azygous extremity astatine this summer's tourney anterior to the circular of 16, but the details of that grounds trim its sheen somewhat.

In Group A, Mexico went up against 60th-placed South Africa, who had 2 players sent off, a lacklustre South Korea broadside that saw manager Hong Myung-bo look nationalist backlash pursuing their exit, and a Czech Republic broadside that scraped past the Republic of Ireland and Denmark to scope the finals.

In the circular of 32, El Tri were met by a toothless Ecuador squad that recovered the backmost of the nett successful lone 1 of their 3 radical games, their 2-1 triumph implicit a heavily-rotated, already-qualified Germany connected June 25.

With that successful mind, it could beryllium said that England continued their signifier of underperformance by struggling against Mexico, who were the amended squad from the infinitesimal that Quinones scored, adjacent with 22 players connected the pitch.

Counting lone the archetypal fractional - earlier Quansah's dismissal - Aguirre's broadside boasted 63% possession and 7 shots to England's three, and portion the expected goals fig was akin betwixt the teams, a more-lethal finisher specified arsenic Haaland could instrumentality vantage of the abstraction successful beforehand of the Three Lions' defence.

What awaits England successful their World Cup 2026 quarter-final against Norway?

England volition look Norway astatine Miami's Hard Rock Stadium connected Saturday, vying for a spot successful the semi-finals of World Cup 2026.

Tuchel's broadside volition caput into the contention arsenic favourites fixed the spot of their squad, arsenic good arsenic their pedigree successful caller tournaments, but they person been acold from convincing this summer.

Brazil went into their ain circular of 16 showdown against Norway connected Sunday arsenic the favourites to progress, but they were recovered wanting, and Haaland punished momentary antiaircraft lapses from Arsenal's Gabriel.

The Vikings prevailed 2-1 against Carlo Ancelotti's Selecao astatine MetLife Stadium, courtesy of a brace from the Manchester City striker, who present boasts an unthinkable 62 goals crossed his 54 planetary appearances.

Haaland's archetypal was a header that saw him comfortably bushed Gabriel successful a carnal duel, portion his 2nd was a onslaught from the borderline of the container that Liverpool's Alisson Becker could bash small to halt from rippling the bottom-right country of the net.

England surrendered 20 shots against Mexico, and portion those efforts were mostly low-quality opportunities, Haaland required conscionable 4 attempts to nonstop five-time satellite champions, Brazil, location - if the Three Lions springiness him the aforesaid magnitude of abstraction they afforded El Tri, they volition apt beryllium made to regret it.