While the Welsh Dragon is firing after their first-ever European Championship match ended in a famous victory, England's young lions have been licking their wounds after their disappointing draw in Marseille.
Wales are the team carrying the momentum into this eagerly anticipated clash in Lens and their players have been bullish in press conferences this week. Gareth Bale declared himself very happy that the England camp reacted to his incendiary claims that Wales "have a got a lot more passion and pride" than England. "It's good that they bit," Bale said wryly. "
Both camps have been asked if this game will feel like a Premier League match, but four of Wales' starting XI against Slovakia didn't start an English top-flight match last season. England's team against Russia started 324 Premier League games compared to just 131 for Wales' (Gareth Bale excluded of course).
While the England and Wales rugby teams get to renew their fierce rivalry on a yearly basis, matches between their nation's football teams have become increasingly rare since the annual British Championship was disbanded in 1984.
That year, Wales beat England 1-0 courtesy of a goal from debutant Mark Hughes, and it remarkably remains the last goal and the last win they have recorded in this fixture.
TEAM NEWS
All of England's players trained on Wednesday ahead of the match so Roy Hodgson has a full-strength squad to select from.
He may opt to select the same starting XI and 4-3-3 formation that played against Russia.
Wales goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey is still troubled by the back spasm that caused him to miss the opening win over Slovakia.
Slovakia match winner Hal Robson-Kanu and Joe Ledley are pushing for starts.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- This will be the 102nd time that England and Wales have played each other, although this is the first time they have met in the finals of a major tournament.
- England have won 66 matches, Wales 14 and there have been 21 draws.
- Wales have not beaten England since a 1-0 victory in Wrexham on 2 May 1984, when Mark Hughes scored the only goal on his debut.
- England have won the last four games between the countries without conceding a goal. They triumphed 2-0 at home and 1-0 away during qualifying for the 2006 World Cup, and then won 2-0 away and 1-0 at home in qualifying for Euro 2012. Ashley Young was the last player to score in the fixture.
- Wales manager Chris Coleman made just one appearance under current England manager Roy Hodgson at Blackburn Rovers in 1997-98.
- Coleman and Hodgson have both managed Fulham and had spells as players at Crystal Palace.
England
- England had not lost over 90 or 120 minutes in 23 European Championship fixtures, going back to a 3-2 defeat by Croatia in November 2007.
- Roy Hodgson's side won all ten of their Euro 2016 qualifiers, making them just the sixth team to achieve the feat, after France (1992, 2004), Czech Republic (2000) and Germany and Spain (both 2012).
- This is only the second time England will face another country from the UK in a major tournament, they won the first 2-0 against Scotland at Euro 1996.
- England mustered nine shots against Russia in the first-half, which is the most they have managed in the opening 45 minutes during a Euros final match since they had 11 against Croatia in 2004.
- At 25 years and 293 days, England's starting 11 against Russia was their second-youngest ever at a major finals after a 2002 World Cup match with Sweden (25y 206d).
- England have failed to score more than once in 13 of their last 14 matches at major tournaments.
- Against Russia, Eric Dier became the eighth Tottenham player to score at a major tournament for England, more than any other club.
Wales
- Wales have conceded in each of their last five games (including friendlies), their worst run of conceding since March 2013 (11).
- Aaron Ramsey has had a hand in three goals in his last three games for Wales (two goals, one assist).
- Gareth Bale scored with Wales' first ever shot on target at a European Championship finals.
- Bale is the first British player to score a direct free-kick in a Euro finals game.
- Hal Robson Kanu's goal was his first for Wales since October 2014 (v Cyprus), which was also the last Welsh goal in a competitive game not scored by either Bale or Ramsey.
- Wales are the first British side to win their opening game in a European Championship finals tournament.
Possible line-ups
England: Hart; Walker, Smalling, Cahill, Rose; Alli, Dier, Rooney; Lallana, Kane, Sterling.
Wales: Hennessey; Gunter, Chester, Williams, Davies, Taylor; Allen, Ledley; Ramsey, Bale; Robson-Kanu.
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