Four decades after 'Hand of God', Three Lions return to Azteca to break both Mexico and curse

Forty years after one of the most painful nights in England's football history, the Three Lions are back at the Azteca.

The iconic stadium in Mexico City, forever etched into English football folklore because of Diego Maradona's infamous "Hand of God" goal and his unforgettable "Goal of the Century" in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final, will once again provide the backdrop for a match of enormous significance.

This time, England's opponents are the hosts themselves, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.

Thomas Tuchel's side know they will have to overcome far more than just an in-form Mexican team. They must also deal with one of world football's most intimidating venues, where more than 80,000 home supporters are expected to create a deafening atmosphere and where Mexico have turned the stadium into a fortress.

England arrived in Mexico City only two days before the match, leaving little time to adapt to the challenges posed by playing at 7,220 feet above sea level after previous World Cup matches in Dallas, Atlanta, Boston and New Jersey. They had also hoped to keep their hotel location private after Ecuador were disturbed by hundreds of Mexican fans before the previous round, but supporters quickly gathered outside England's base despite heavy security.

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Tuchel, however, has embraced the occasion rather than feared it.

"We felt the energy of the place right away," the England manager said. "You can feel the excitement. This is a next-level setting.

"I felt straight away this would be a proper World Cup game. We are in an iconic place and an iconic stadium. It is just the biggest stage."

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The German also acknowledged the unique challenge awaiting his players.

"Mexico will give us a taste of the intensity, the heat and we must find solutions to that. It will be emotional and full of support for the home team. We are at a stadium that can create momentum and belief, but we have very experienced players."

England have yet to fully convince in this tournament. They needed a late winner from captain Harry Kane to edge past DR Congo in the Round of 32 and have shown occasional defensive vulnerability despite reaching the knockout rounds.

Mexico, meanwhile, appear to be gathering momentum at exactly the right moment. They remain one of only a handful of teams yet to concede at this World Cup and produced arguably their most complete display by defeating Ecuador 2-0 in the previous round. Even more daunting is their extraordinary record at the Azteca, where they have lost just two competitive matches in 88 outings.

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Despite the daunting statistics, Tuchel insists England know exactly what to expect.

"We know everything about the Mexican team," he said.

"They're now among the top teams in the world rankings. We've analysed their recent matches against Belgium, Portugal and others. They are tactically flexible, they can switch defensive systems during games and they attack with plenty of movement through the middle.

"We are fully aware of their strengths and we will try to exploit their weaknesses. We have huge respect for Mexico, but we also believe in ourselves. To win, we will need our best performance both offensively and defensively."

WORLD CUP - KNOCKOUT STAGE

Round of 16

Saturday

Canada - Morocco 0-3 (0-0)

/Ounahi 50, 82, Rahimi 90+8/

Sunday

France - Paraguay 1-0 (0-0)

/Mbappe 70 pen/

23.00: (1.90) Brazil (3.90) Norway (4.15)

Monday

03.00: (3.25) Mexico (3.15) England (2.45)

22.00: (3.80) Portugal (3.45) Spain (2.00)

Tuesday

03.00: (2.70) USA (3.40) Belgium (2.65)

19.00: (1.37) Argentina (4.70) Egypt (9.00)

23.00: (3.40) Switzerland (3.25) Colombia (2.30)

***odds are subject to change***