While England fans continue to dream about football finally ‘coming home’ given their seemingly fortuitous path to the final, some limp group stage showings undermine why they shouldn’t get carried away just yet. Despite growing criticism of boss Gareth Southgate after three substandard showings in Group C, the Three Lions topped the group (W1, D2) to set up a date with Slovakia.
The pair have become familiar foes since the turn of the millennium, with England’s dominant record in those six H2Hs (W5, D1) seemingly leaving them well-placed to book their spot in the quarter-finals. Amid wide comparisons to Euro 2016 though – a tournament in which these two sides played out a 0-0 group stage draw – England would be wise not to look too far ahead as they were dumped out at this very stage then by Iceland.
Playing the role of underdog this time, and bidding to go further in a Euro tournament than ever before as an independent nation, Slovakia’s reward for finishing third in Group E is a clash with the tournament favourites. This won’t be a game that frightens Slovakia, who have already taken one huge scalp in Euro 2024 by beating a Belgium side ranked higher than England 1-0 in their group opener.
They now travel to Gelsenkirchen for the first time in this tournament chasing a first-ever win against England. If their run to this point is anything to go by, the Slovaks will have to hope that one goal is enough to win the game, as all three of their Euro 2024 games so far saw them score exactly once, with all three goals interestingly arriving before the half-hour mark.
Players to watch: England will hope Harry Kane finds his shooting boots when it matters most after he scored in every knockout game leading up to the Euro 2020 final. Slovakia may look to Ivan Schranz to get them off to a fast start again, given his last four international goals served as game openers, including two at this tournament.
Hot stat: Only one of the six group stage games involving these two sides witnessed over 2.5 goals.
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