All four sides in Group B have a chance of joining France and Switzerland in the knockout stages in this evening’s pair of fixtures.
Top of the table England still require a victory to be sure of going through as group winners – a draw against Slovakia, allied with a triumph for Wales over Russia, would see Roy Hodgson’s men slip into second spot and face the Group F runners-up.
Such a scenario doesn’t suit the Slovaks either, as it would leave them scrambling for a slot as one of the best third-placed sides and facing a group winner in the final 16.
Given the importance of this evening’s match, then, it’s somewhat surprising that the Three Lions manager has made six alterations to the side that narrowly defeated Wales last time out.
Russia will be looking for England to do them a favour tonight. A win for both teams would see Leonid Slutsky’s side finish in second spot, though it’s fair to say they’ve been somewhat fortuitous to score twice from a mere four attempts on target.
Wales, meanwhile, will be targeting dead-ball situations against Russia’s ageing backline, with Chris Coleman’s troops already netting twice from set-pieces in their opening pair of fixtures.
