世界杯淘汰赛：贝林厄姆梅开二度，十人英格兰三比二淘汰东道主墨西哥

Today let's talk about a stirring World Cup knockout game: a man down, England beat hosts Mexico three to two to reach the last eight.

This was a hard-fought battle England won with both quality and willpower.

First, a word on the background.

This was a home game through and through, tens of thousands of Mexican fans turning the stadium into a stunning sea of red, white and green.

But England were clearly prepared, and weren't affected by the home atmosphere.

Alright, into the game.

In the first half, England showed their quality, and their heartbeat Bellingham was on fire.

He scored a brace in the first half, helping England to an early two-nil lead.

The huge deficit briefly silenced the noisy home stands.

But Mexico are the hosts after all, and they didn't bow easily.

Quiñones seized a chance to pull one back, one to two, reigniting the whole stadium's hope.

However, the real turning point came in the second half.

England defender Quansah was sent off early with a red card for a serious foul.

England were suddenly a man down, having to face a surging Mexico with ten players.

But surprisingly, ten-man England, far from collapsing, only grew calmer.

Kane calmly converted a penalty, one to three, stretching the gap again.

A trailing Mexico launched a do-or-die fightback, converting a penalty of their own to pull it to two to three.

In the closing stage, Mexico threw everyone forward, while ten-man England dropped back into their box and held firm with stubborn defending.

Block after block, clearance after clearance, England laughed last, holding on to a nervy, hard-won win.

So, how should this game be judged?

For England, this is a hugely valuable win.

They have both a star like Bellingham who can settle a game with one decisive blow, and the team resilience to hold on a man down.

This England is, without doubt, a very fearsome opponent.

For Mexico, falling at their own home in front of tens of thousands of fans is an unbearably cruel defeat.

They gave it everything, even glimpsed hope for a while, yet in the end couldn't rewrite the outcome.

The glory and pressure of home turf became, in the end, a weight too heavy for them to bear.

That's England three to two Mexico, a win belonging to quality, and to resilience.

See you next match.