Before an explosive England-Wales this Wednesday in Group B, the statistics do not plead in favor of Gareth Bale’s teammates.
Everything is still possible in Group B of the World Cup. England, Iran, the United States and Wales mathematically retain the chances of reaching the round of 16 before their last group match, this Wednesday, which will offer a United States-Iran heavy with symbols. Without reaching the level of this meeting on the scale of geopolitics, England-Wales (at 8 p.m.) risks being boiling hot, like any derby in the United Kingdom whether in football or rugby – in most other collective or individual sports, England, Scotland and Wales form a single national team of Great Britain. Especially since Gareth Bale’s Wales has the obligation to win (a necessary but not sufficient condition, by trucking Iran 6-2, the English present an XXL goal average). But for Robert Page, the Welsh coach, the issue is elsewhere. “My ultimate goal is to eliminate England,” he got carried away.
History does not reassure him. In 103 games against the hated neighbor, Wales have won only 14 times, snatching 21 draws and compiling 68 defeats. The last victory of the Welsh goes back to 193. England is not more tender with the other nations of the United Kingdom: 37 matches, 27 victories, 3 defeats against Northern Ireland. Finally, it is Scotland who are doing the least badly: in 115 matches they have lost “only” 48 times, for 41 defeats and 26 draws: that is to say 35.65% success when Welsh and North -Irish have a respective winning ratio of 13.59% and 11.11%.