Preview: England in Russia 2018

Summary - Nobody expects England to win Russia 2018 - but that might just suit them very nicely.

For the second successive tournament, the England team has entered without any burdens of expectation. After a succession of disappointments from the so-called 'Golden Generation' in the 2000s, many will simply hope they avoid the ignominy of another group stage exit or embarrassing defeat to a country with a population the size of Coventry.

The low expectations may not be unjustified; after all, an analysis by sports data company Gracenote suggested England had just a four per cent chance of winning, way behind the usual suspects like Brazil, Spain, Germany and Argentina. Indeed, even Peru were ranked as having a better chance.

Curiously, however, England's chances are very similar to those of European champions Portugal and group rivals Belgium, who many would suggest have much better players.

However, all that may suit England rather more than some might appreciate. Without the pressure of expectation, they can simply set out to play the best football they can, with the knowledge that reaching the last eight will be a major success and a trip to the semi-finals would be such a triumph it would put even Italia 90 and Gazza's tears in the shade.

An area where England should have high expectations is qualification from the group phase. Gracenote gives them a 72 per cent chance of doing so, one per cent ahead of Belgium. How this is worked out may be a mystery, but while Belgium's lack of tournament success may be factored against them, the reality is that the two European sides in Group G should cruise through easily against the modest talents of Panama and Tunisia.

That leaves a final match against Belgium that could decide the group. English fans will, of course, be very familiar with the players they are up against, with the likes of Kevin de Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Toby Alderweireld, Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois and Marouane Fellaini likely to feature.

Whether they finish first or second, the opponents in the next round should not be too daunting. They face one of Poland, Senegal, Colombia or Japan from Group H.

If a quarter-final appearance is a realistic goal, the fact is that however long they are in Russia, England fans on the trip will certainly get to see a lot of the country.

The first game will be right down in the south against Tunisia in Volgograd on June 18th. Named after the river, the city was more famously known as Stalingrad, the scene of some of the grimmest fighting on the eastern front in the Second World War.

Nizhny Novgorod will stage the Panama game on June 24th. A grey but lively university town, this city is also located on the banks of the Volga, albeit hundreds of miles from Volgograd.

The Belgium match on June 28th will be in perhaps the most interesting of all venues outside Moscow - Kaliningrad. Situated in an enclave separated from the rest of Russia by Lithuania, it was once known as Konigsberg and was part of East Prussia. Its most famous inhabitant was the German philosopher Immanuel Kant.

Most English fans are somewhat philosophical about their own team's chances, but that could just give a young, vibrant and growing side the freedom to go out and spring a surprise. Four per cent or not, Russia 2018 might just see England restore some pride and enjoy their best tournament in many years.