England have intensified their penalty shootout preparations ahead of their FIFA World Cup Round of 16 clash against DR Congo, with head coach Thomas Tuchel determined to leave nothing to chance.
With two knockout matches in this year's tournament already decided by penalties, the Three Lions are preparing for every possible scenario before Wednesday's encounter, which kicks off at 10:00 pm Bangladesh time.
Tuchel said England are continuing the structured penalty programme introduced during Gareth Southgate's tenure, crediting the Football Association's long-term approach to improving the team's record in shootouts.
Before Southgate took charge in 2016, England had won only one of their seven penalty shootouts at major tournaments. Under his leadership, however, the Three Lions won three of their four shootouts, reversing their long-standing struggles from the spot.
"The FA has had a clear programme in place for many years, and we're following it," Tuchel said. "We have a process, and the players have been given a clear routine to follow."
The German coach admitted, however, that no training session can fully replicate the pressure of a real penalty shootout.
"It's difficult to recreate those moments artificially. You can never fully reproduce that kind of pressure on the training ground," he said.
With a place in the quarter-finals on the line, England hope their thorough preparations will prove decisive if the match against DR Congo goes all the way to penalties.
Bd-Pratidin English/ AM
