Mafi babban kalubale da Ingila ta fuskanta a gasar FIFA World Cup 2026 ya zo a ranar Litinin, lokacin da suke fuskantar Mexico a zagayen ƙarshen 16 a shahararren Azteca Stadium — filin da ƙungiyar masu gida ta sha kashi sau biyu kawai a cikin wasanni 89.

Wannan tarihi na gida yana mai da Mexico abokin hamayya mai ban tsoro, amma shirye-shiryen Thomas Tuchel na ƙara rikitawa ta hanyar rikicin rauni a matsayin mai tsaro na dama da ya addabi Ingila a duk tsawon gasar.

Barazanar harin Mexico ta yi aiki a bangarori biyu

Sha'awar Mexico ta kai hari na sanya Tuchel cikin matsalar dabara ta gaske. Ingila sun nuna cewa suna iya buga ƙwallon ƙafa mai burgewa lokacin da abokan hamayya suka kai musu hari — kwallaye huɗu a kan Croatia a wasansu na farko na ƙungiya sun tabbatar da haka — amma kuma sun nuna raunin tsaro a kowane wasa har zuwa yanzu.

Ingila suna da kashi na uku mafi ƙasa na xG da aka amince da shi daga cikin ƙungiyoyi da suka rage da 2.3 a wasanni huɗu, amma wannan adadi yana yi musu kyau. Tsaron Tuchel ya ba kowane abokin hamayya dama a wannan gasar, yana barin Ingila a kan bakin wuƙa: suna fata Mexico su kai hari, amma suna tsoron lalacewar da hakan zai iya haifarwa.

Wadanda suka saba da ranakun wasa a Azteca suna ba da shawara cewa tsayawa ɗan tsayuwar Mexico ta farko dole ne. Ana sa ran mintuna 15 zuwa 20 na farko za su zama masu ƙarfi, kuma ra'ayin da yafi karfi shi ne idan Ingila suka sami damar wucewa ba tare da karɓar kwallo ba, ƙarfin Mexico na iya raguwa a hankali.

Kamar yadda wani mai sharhi ya faɗi, Mexico za su fito suna buga da ƙarfi — amma idan ba su sami isa duka da wuri ba, suna iya ƙarasa ƙarfinsu kansu.

Tasirin Azteca

Filin wasa kansa an tsara shi don tsoratarwa. An tilasta bas ɗin ƙungiyar Ingila ta zagaya kusan duk kewaye da filin a ranar wasa, yayin da tafiya daga bas ɗin zuwa ɗakunan yin wanka mai tsawo ne kuma a bayyane. Masu goyon bayan Ingila, waɗanda galibi suna mafiya yawa a wasannin waje, za su yi ƙasa da sau takwas idan aka kwatanta da masu goyon bayan Mexico da suka cika a cikin manyan kabas masu ban tsoro.

Ciwo a matsayin mai tsaro na dama

Jerin raunuka a wannan matsayi yana da ban mamaki. Tino Livramento ya bar tawagar, Reece James an dakatar da shi ba tare da takamaiman lokaci ba, kuma Jarrell Quansah ya rasa horon kuma yana cikin shakku mai tsanani. Declan Rice ya riga ya cike wannan gurbi — ya zama mai tsaro na biyar daban-daban na dama da Ingila ta yi amfani da shi a wasanni huɗu — bayan mataimakin koci Anthony Barry ya ɗauke shi daga layin tsakiya a lokacin nasara akan DR Congo sa'ad da Djed Spence ya yi gwagwarmaya a gefen dama.

Kwarewar Rice a wannan matsayi yana da iyaka. Karon ƙarshe da ya buga can ga Arsenal — tsawon minti 20 a kan West Ham — ya ƙare lokacin da Mikel Arteta ya mayar da shi zuwa layin tsakiya bayan ya gane yadda ƙungiyar ta raunana a tsakiya ba tare da shi ba.

Halin na zama mafi rikitarwa saboda mafi haɗarin dan wasan Mexico, Julián Quiñones, yana buga a gefen hagu kuma ya riga ya zura kwallaye uku a gasar, yana nuna kai tsaye ga mafi raunin yanki na Ingila.

Bellingham, Rogers da dabarar masu gama aiki

Idan Rice ya sake buga matsayin mai tsaro na dama, Jude Bellingham zai iya sake aikata aiyukansa na Panama a matsayin dan wasan tsakiya na tsaro — inda ya kasance mafi kyau a kididdiga a matsayin mai kai hari da kuma mai tsaro a wannan rana. Morgan Rogers ko Ebere Eze za su shigo a Lamba 10.

Yanke shawara ta Tuchel tsakanin Anthony Gordon da Marcus Rashford game da farawa shi ma yana da ban sha'awa bayan Gordon ya ba da taimako guda biyu ga kwallaye biyu na Harry Kane a matsayin wanda ya maye gurbin a kan DR Congo.

Tuchel ya zana layi mai haske tsakanin masu farawa — waɗanda aka ba wa aikin ɓata Mexico da kwantar da hankali taron — da masu gama aiki, waɗanda ake sa ran su yanke wasannin. Idan Ingila ta yi nasara, za ta shiga cikin ƙaramin jerin ƙasashe waɗanda suka taɓa cin nasara a cikin Azteca Stadium.