Marc Guehi believes Mexico are favorites against England in their next World Cup clash at the Estadio Azteca, citing their solid home record and perfect performances in the tournament so far.
Marc Guehi has suggested tournament co-hosts Mexico are favorites when England travel to the iconic Estadio Azteca for their World Cup last-16 clash on Monday. Mexico has a perfect record after four matches at the World Cup, topping the group without conceding a goal and defeating Ecuador 2-0 in the round of 16 match. Javier Aguirre's team returns to the famous Azteca, where they are unbeaten in ten World Cup matches (8 wins and 2 draws), having won the last six in a row. Thanks to their fearsome home record and apparent altitude advantage – the famous stadium sits around 2,200 meters above sea level – Guehi admits it will be a tough challenge for Thomas Tuchel's men. "We know they are a good team and they have the support on their side, so it will be like walking into a cauldron," the Manchester City defender told FIFA. "But it will be a fun test. I would say they are somewhat favourites. They are at home and know the environment much better. They have not conceded a goal so far and have a perfect record. We come to these competitions to play against the best teams, in high-level atmospheres. It is a match that we all look forward to." In fact, Mexico has played 89 competitive matches at the Azteca in its history, losing only two. These two defeats date back to World Cup qualifiers in June 2001 (against Costa Rica) and September 2013 (against Honduras). England also have a history with the stadium, returning there for the first time in 40 years since Diego Maradona's infamous hand goal in the 1986 World Cup. But Guehi expects his team to rise to the challenge, with a potential quarter-final match against Brazil or Norway to follow in Miami. “I think I know my character,” Guehi said. "It's just a way of dealing with those moments. You start to imagine in your mind what those moments will be like and visualize them so that when they come up, you're not surprised. It's about trying to show those elements of your character and have personality in those moments."
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