OLD RIVALS EYE PLACE IN LAST 16

ENGLAND’S stars warmed up for their £270million Battle Of Britain today by hitting the beach.

The likes of Harry Kane and Phil Foden headed to the Persian Gulf as they prepared to take on next-door neighbours Wales in Group B. And the match is expected to spark a mega spending spree across Britain. Around four million people will pile into pubs, bars and restaurants to sup 12m pints during the game – ploughing £43m into the nation’s ailing hospitality industry. Another 12.9m fans will watch from home, splashing out £141m on booze and food. The rest of the spending is on TVs and other gadgets, sportswear and souvenirs, says a study by VoucherCodes.co.uk. Anita Naik, of the firm, said: “Although rising costs are having an impact, the figures show English and Welsh fans are still set to get behind their teams.”

Wales’ ace Gareth Bale, 33, vowed to “give everything” in Doha as he looks to win 4-0 and qualify for the last 16.

TONIGHT’S match could be a rather spicy encounter.

There is always going to be a rivalry when you pit two neighbours against each other.

And there is so much riding on it. Yes, things look a lot simpler for England than Wales.

But the Welsh will still believe they have a chance.

First things first – they must beat the Three Lions to progress in the tournament.

If they stuff Harry Kane’s boys by four goals or more, they could even dump them out of the tournament.

That may seem a bit unlikely after the defeat to Iran, but stranger things have happened.

This tournament has already seen a lot of shock results.

Gareth Southgate’s charges will themselves be looking to bounce back from a tepid performance against the USA.

So the clash certainly has a derby feel to it. And we can’t wait.

Let’s get ready to rumble!