World Cup 2018 Draw: Group A, H the easiest but England and Spain complicate Round of 16 paths

FRANCE

Socceroos fans might be filled with optimism right now, but make no mistake, Les Bleus will be delighted with this draw. Not only are a side featuring the likes of Paul Pogba, Antoine Griezmann, Alexandre Lacazette, Anthony Martial, Kylian Mbappe, Olivier Giroud and co short priced favourites to progress, but, if form goes to plan, they will see their Round of 16 opponent from Group D as more than conquerable. A quarter final berth will be a minimum expectation for a side that will now become one of the favourites.

(Morocco's French coach Herve Renard laughs with France's coach Didier Deschamps)

SPAIN & PORTUGAL

It sounds strange that they should be winners, but, once the neighbours get their derby out of the way, they will know exactly what they need to do to qualify past unfancied Morocco and Iran line-ups. Further, as plucky as Uruguay can be in major tournaments, Group A is definitely one you want to cross path with in the knockout phase, and from there on, everyone is quality.

BELGIUM & ENGLAND

Like above, the win for both nations beneath the headline of drawing each other is the two other teams are clearly not of the same standard. The ‘Premier League derby’, filled with the PL’s finest players, could either be a dead rubber, or a grand final, as the third game in Group G with Panama and Tunisia, but whatever happens, Gareth Southgate and Roberto Martinez have to take the good with that bad. That is, with a reasonable group comes the heightened expectations from both nations’ fans. They are the two clear favourites to progress, but who they face out of Poland, Colombia, Japan and Senegal is anyone’s guess. They’d fancy their chances against all of them, and hope to avoid Brazil or Germany in the bottom half for as long as they can.

“We’ve been good at writing teams off and then getting beaten by them haven’t we?” Southgate added. “We’ve got to make sure we’re prepared for all of those games. “It’s fantastically exciting to be here for the draw with every other coach. I’m really looking forward to getting on with it now.”

(Gareth Southgate, Manager of England speaks to Roberto Martinez)

“It’s a very special draw but it’s about preparation now,” Martinez said. “I think it’s a challenging group in terms of the travelling, probably the most demanding in terms of travelling arrangements.

“Our players are in a very good moment of their careers. Twenty five players are now in the British game so are very well known, players with important roles in important teams who really enjoy coming together and representing their country.”

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