There have been some stinging criticisms flung around at both sides in the build-up to this match. England have been called weak. Wales, weaker. One-man team versus tactical simpletons. A team of passion over skill up against a team of bored millionaires.
By most measurable metrics though, this should be England's game. It shouldn't even be that hard. 10 wins and a draw in their last 11 competitive games, no defeats to Wales in the last 30 years, and a team full of players who regularly play at the very highest levels.
Despite the cries to drop Raheem Sterling and completely shift the team's formation, Hodgson looks set to keep the faith in the XI which drew with Russia. Despite the result, England's performance hailed was one of their better in recent years - with Jack Wilshere saying afterwards that there is "no need to change the game plan". That'll be that, then.
Key Stats
The two teams have met 101 times since their first meeting 137 years ago, with England winning 66 to Wales' 14 - and 21 draws.
The first match was a 2-1 win for the English back in 1879, and the most recent fixture went the same way too; a 1-0 win at Wembley thanks to an Ashley Young strike.
The last time England failed to beat Wales? All the way back in 1984, when a 20-year-old Mark Hughes scored on his international debut to give the Red Dragons a 1-0 win at the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham.
Roy Hodgson isn't likely to be naive enough to believe that Gareth Bale is the be-all and end-all of this Welsh team...but he is still the key man. The one touch of true world class talent in Chris Coleman's side - fast enough, powerful enough and skillful enough to turn England's two shaky centre-backs inside out. If they can stop him though, a big portion of Wales' threat is blunted.
Harry Kane vs Ashley Williams
England struggled to find the back of the net against Russia on Saturday, and a lot of the blame for that fell at Harry Kane's feet. If Wales can stop Kane from firing on Thursday afternoon, they've got a real chance of keeping England quiet. There are good signs for the Welsh too, with Kane failing to score (except past his own keeper) when playing Williams' Swansea last season.
Dele Alli vs Gareth Bale
Europe’s hottest attacking prospects that are set to square-off – Tottenham Hotspur’s Dele Alli and Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale.
The high-priced Welshman leads in terms of big stage experience, having played 56 games for the national side and recording 20 goals, including the stunning free-kick in their opening game against Slovakia. Conversely, the 20-year-old upstart Alli has only played nine games for the Three Lions – with his solitary goal coming in a friendly against current tournament hosts
The Tottenham youngster is best deployed on the left in Roy Hodgson’s setup, terrorising opposition defenders and trying to create chances for teammate Harry Kane. On the other hand, Bale stars through the centre, equally able to drive the ball toward the penalty area or unleash an unstoppable long-range strike.
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