England and DR Congo Lineups: Tuchel Makes Three Changes

England and DR Congo are set to clash at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for a Round of 16 fixture at the World Cup. The winner will advance to face one of the tournament co-hosts, Mexico, in the next stage.

England enters the match in strong form, boasting four wins and a draw in their last five outings. They topped their group, which also included Ghana, Croatia, and Panama. However, while the "Three Lions" impressed against Croatia, their performances in the subsequent two matches drew some criticism.

DR Congo has already delivered an upset, securing a draw against favorites Portugal in their opening match. The African side achieved their first-ever World Cup victory just days ago, defeating Uzbekistan 3-1 to secure their spot in the knockout rounds.

These two nations have never met before. This encounter, however, marks the third time England will face an African opponent in the World Cup knockout stages, having won both previous matches against Cameroon in 1990 and Senegal in 2022.

Thomas Tuchel has made three changes from the last group stage match against Panama. Jed Spence starts at right-back in the absence of injured Reece James and Jarell Quansah. Declan Rice returns to the midfield, while Noni Madueke gets the nod over Bukayo Saka on the right wing of the attack. Marcus Rashford retains his spot on the left wing, and the attack is, of course, spearheaded by England's all-time World Cup goalscorer, Harry Kane.

Yoane Wissa, who scored twice against Uzbekistan, once again leads the line for DR Congo. Head coach Sébastien Desabre has made one change from the Uzbekistan game, with Ngal Ayel Mukau starting in place of Cédric Bakambu. Desabre has also altered the team's formation, with DR Congo set to play in a 4-5-1 setup today, moving away from their familiar 4-4-2.