London, Sept 4: After snatching the initiative at the top of Group G with yet another away victory, England will look to rectify its poor recent home record to move a step closer to next year's European Championship finals.
England maintained its 100 percent away run in qualifying by brushing aside Bulgaria 3-0 on Friday, leaving the team three points clear after closest rival Montenegro's surprise 2-1 loss at Wales.
With Montenegro not in action on Tuesday, Fabio Capello's men will move into a six-point lead if they beat Wales—but that would require them ending a four-match winless streak at Wembley.
However, with Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney back to his best form and Capello's new-look lineup impressing in an energetic, confident display in Sofia, Arsenal winger Theo Walcott sees no reason why England won't defeat a British rival lying 113 places lower in the rankings.
“We need to take our away form to Wembley. It will come,” Walcott said.
“Everyone is on their toes—there's so much competition for places—and with the amount of pace we've got going forward, not just in the starting lineup but on the bench too, it's a very, very attacking team.”
Rooney has scored in all three of Manchester United's Premier League games this season, including a hat trick in last weekend's 8-2 thrashing of Arsenal, and followed that up with a brace against Bulgaria.
With United teammate Ashley Young playing in a floating role behind Rooney—and both Walcott and Stewart Downing looking dangerous on the wings—England should have too much going forward for the Welsh.
Rooney said England had reacted to its second-round elimination at last year's World Cup.
“We have responded really well to what happened at the World Cup and through the qualifiers we've done well,” Rooney said.
“It was a great win in Bulgaria. I thought at the top of the pitch especially, we had a lot of movement and a lot of energy, with the players rotating around. We made it really difficult for their defense to cope. If we win Tuesday against Wales, we will more or less have qualified.”
Wales will be without key striker Craig Bellamy, who is suspended, but will be buoyed by the victory over Montenegro that earned the team its first points of the qualifying campaign.
With players like Tottenham winger Gareth Bale and Arsenal playmaker Aaron Ramsey in the side, the Welsh will also pose a threat in attack and aren't being underestimated by Capello.
“I respect any opponent,” Capello said. “The FIFA ranking is one thing, (performance on) the pitch is another.
“Wales have some players who are really dangerous and others who are improving a lot. They just beat Montenegro and that is not easy. It will be a tough game.”
Capello could go with an unchanged team, meaning Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard will have to be content with a place on the bench behind Scott Parker and the in-form Gareth Barry.
“He is one of the best English midfielders,” Capello said of the 33-year-old Lampard, a national-team stalwart for much of the last decade. “But as a manager, I need to choose the players, not the name.”
Striker Darren Bent (groin) and right back Micah Richards (hamstring) were both ruled out of the match Sunday, but neither started against Bulgaria and Capello will not call up any replacements to the squad.
Fresh off a first win against a top-20 nation since 2002 and a first victory in a competitive fixture since October 2009, Wales will hope to spring another upset.
“We still have a long way to go, we have only won one game, and there is plenty more hard work to do if we are to be successful,” Wales manager Gary Speed said. “We got the ball to our big players more—that's what we've not done—and when we do that, we've got players who can really hurt people.
“(But) it's going to be difficult,” he said. “They are a fantastic team and there has been no better team in qualifiers than England the last few years.”
Switzerland hosts fellow also-ran Bulgaria in the group's other match, with both teams level on five points—six behind Montenegro.
Bulgaria is effectively out of the running for second place but Switzerland, which has three games left, can still catch Montenegro. AP
