SOCCER: No over-confidence from Tuchel's England in World Cup of fine margins

ATLANTA — England head into their Round of 32 clash against the Democratic Republic of Congo as strong favorites, but manager Thomas Tuchel insists there will be no complacency from his side in a World Cup marked by upsets and dramatic finishes.

England topped their group and will face DR Congo on Wednesday, with the African side advancing as the highest-ranked among the third-placed teams.

The knockout stage has already delivered major surprises. Germany were eliminated by Paraguay on penalties, while the Netherlands also exited in a shootout against Morocco. Brazil needed a late winner to edge Japan, and Norway similarly survived a late scare against Ivory Coast.

“I think it can calm us down in a way,” Tuchel told reporters on Tuesday. “It’s just narrow margins, it’s tight football matches, and it helps us not to over-expect. It helps to put it in the right framework, what has happened in this World Cup and in world football.

“Teams are well-driven, teams defend at the highest level, teams are well prepared. And it’s difficult for any team to break teams down, especially when you arrive as a favorite, especially when you face teams who have nothing to lose.”

DR Congo have embraced their underdog status in the tournament and have already exceeded expectations, including a draw against Portugal. Tuchel expects another difficult test similar to England’s previous knockout matches.

“We expect a similar kind of game like we faced against Ghana, like we faced against Panama,” he said. “We arrive as favorites, and they can play in the role of underdog, which suits them very well.

“We have the team spirit, we have the commitment, we have the quality to turn half chances into chances, to make crosses difficult, to arrive with numbers in the box, and to decide this match in maybe very few key moments.”

Tuchel also acknowledged the possibility of a penalty shootout, noting England’s preparation for high-pressure scenarios.

“I think it’s very difficult to simulate the pressure, so we train what we can train,” he said. “The FA has a program in place. We follow this program in detail, and it’s just an important and very specific part of football that comes into play in knockout matches.

“We usually know who takes them and will have the order in place. But we don’t know who finishes the game, so that’s kind of the adjustment that you have to make.”

England will be without injured right-back Reece James, as well as his replacement from the previous match, Jarell Quansah.

“The race was close even to make it into the squad this time,” Tuchel said. “So we need to make sure that we have more matches. That is the main focus and that they will be available very soon.” -Reporting by Trevor Stynes, editing by Ed Osmond/Reuters