World Cup

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Attendance: 41,064

World Cup | Group Stage

Jun 18, 2018 at 7pm UK

Tunisia
1-2
England

Sassi (35' pen.)

FT(HT: 1-1)

Kane (11', 90+1')

Nabil Maaloul: 'Tunisia need to target Harry Kane, Dele Alli'

By Jonny Whitfield, Reporter | 18 June 2018

Tunisia head coach Nabil Maaloul says that Dele Alli and Harry Kane will need to be targeted if his side are to claim a result against England.

Tunisia head coach Nabil Maaloul has said that Dele Alli and Harry Kane will need to be targeted if his side are to claim a result against England.

The Tottenham Hotspur duo are expected to start for the Three Lions, who are favourites to take victory against their Group G opponents in Volgograd.

Maaloul, who identified the potential threat posed by Kane and Alli, insisted that his side must mark the pair to help Tunisia cope with English attacks.

"Alli is a very good player, an excellent player," the manager said. "This is the future of the England national team. He can play anywhere: midfielder in the middle, behind the forward or out on the left. He's so important.

"For us, it's very important we close him down because we know the partnership between him and Kane, because they play together all season at Spurs. If we manage to break that association it would be a huge advantage.

"The English national team have lots of collective play, with [Ashley] Young or [Danny] Rose from the left, they have so many weapons. But the most dangerous weapon is Dele Alli in the way he sees the match and plays that last pass."

Kane and Alli scored a combined 55 goals last term for Mauricio Pochettino's side.