On paper, the English have been clear favourites within the match towards Slovakia. However the Euro 2024 match has already proven that surprises are a typical factor in soccer. Gareth Southgate barely reshuffled the squad after the proud “Sons of Albion” performed apathetically within the group stage. And this time it smelled of a sensation, as a result of till the fifth minute of added time the Slovaks have been main 1-0. However then the sensible Jude Bellingham got here to the fore. In further time the English proved to be higher, however the Slovaks deserved phrases of recognition after this match.
Jude Bellingham
/Christopher Neundorf /PAP/EPA
England’s nationwide soccer group did not impress within the spherical of 16 match towards Slovakia, as they did within the group stage, however they managed to advance to the quarter-finals. Gareth Southgate’s group have been dropping 0-1 on the finish of the second half, however finally gained 2-1 after further time.
The hero of the European vice-champions was Jude Bellingham, who scored the objective that tied the sport with a bicycle kick within the fifth minute of added time. The striker, who turned 21 on Saturday, “saved” his nationwide group simply as he had been offering factors to Actual Madrid within the Spanish high league for a big a part of the season.
For an extended a part of the match, nevertheless, the favourites appeared common at greatest, and their static angle was harking back to the efficiency of the Italians, who have been eradicated on Saturday by Switzerland (0:2), the defending champions.
One other shock was within the offing from the twenty fifth minute when David Strelec noticed Ivan Schranz working into the penalty space and the 30-year-old Slavia Prague striker took benefit of a one-on-one with goalkeeper Jordan Pickford to attain his third objective of the match, levelling his scoring report with Georgian Georges Mikautadze and German Jamal Musiala.
Solely then did the favourite slowly begin to get up and take away the risk from his personal objective. Within the remaining minutes of the primary half, he virtually by no means left Slovakia’s penalty space, however this strain didn’t deliver the Three Lions even a exact shot on objective by Martin Dubravka.
The Newcastle United goalkeeper was introduced down by Phil Foden within the fiftieth minute however a VAR overview dominated the objective was disallowed as a result of the scorer was offside.
When it appeared that England would achieve an ever-increasing benefit, they nearly conceded a second objective within the fifty fifth minute as a consequence of their very own carelessness. In a innocent scenario, the defenders gifted the ball to their opponents close to the midway line, and Strelec, seeing that Pickford was removed from his personal penalty space, instantly took a shot – narrowly off track.
Later, the weakening Slovakia centered on protection and for a very long time luck was on their aspect. Within the 78th minute, Harry Kane discovered himself in an excellent alternative after a cross from the left wing, however the English captain’s header narrowly missed the objective. Declan Rice got here even nearer within the 81st minute, taking a long-range shot that hit the publish.
Solely in added time was the ball handed into the Slovak penalty space, and there Bellingham made an efficient overhead kick, forcing the sport into further time. That is the second objective by the Actual Madrid midfielder within the present match. He saved England from an analogous shame to 2016, after they sensationally misplaced 1-2 to Iceland in the identical spherical.
Further time began completely for the finalists of the earlier version of the European Championship. In its first minute, after just a few unintentional strikes by gamers from each groups, the ball ended up on the top of Kane, who simply despatched it into the web, additionally scoring his second objective in Germany.
The Slovaks have been nonetheless succesful of some extra actions within the remaining minutes of the second half of additional time. They performed the ball with stunning freshness, however they didn’t create any actual risk and are saying goodbye to the match.
England’s opponent within the quarter-finals would be the conqueror of the European champions, Switzerland.
Yellow playing cards: England – Marc Guehi, Kobbie Mainoo, Jude Bellingham; Slovakia – Juraj Kucka, Milan Skriniar, Peter Pekarik, Denis Vavro, Norbert Gyomber.
Referee: Umut Meler (Türkiye).
Viewers: 47,244.
England: Jordan Pickford – Kyle Walker, John Stones, Marc Guehi, Kieran Trippier (66. Cole Palmer) – Bukayo Saka, Kobbie Mainoo (84. Eberechi Eze), Jude Bellingham (106. Ezri Konsa), Declan Rice, Phil Foden ( 90+4) – Harry Kane (106. Conor Gallagher).
Slovakia: Martin Dubravka – Peter Pekarik (109. Lubomir Tupta), Denis Vavro, Milan Skriniar, David Hancko – Juraj Kucka (80. Matus Bero), Stanislav Lobotka, Ondrej Duda (80. Laszlo Benes) – Ivan Schranz (90+3 . Norbert Gyomber), David Strelec (61. Robert Bozenik), Lukas Haraslin (61. Tomas Suslov).
/RMF FM
Supply: RMF24