In a thrilling Euro 2024 encounter, England narrowly avoided a shock exit by coming from behind to defeat Slovakia and advance to the quarter-finals. The Three Lions, who looked on the verge of elimination, managed to turn the tide with a late surge, setting up a clash with Switzerland in the next round.
A Nerve-Wracking Match for England
England’s journey to the Euro 2024 quarter-finals was far from smooth, as Gareth Southgate’s side struggled against a determined Slovakia. Despite topping Group C, England’s performance in the group stage had been underwhelming, and their sluggish start in this match only added to the concerns.
Slovakia, who had already caused upsets in the tournament, took the lead 25 minutes into the game. Ivan Schranz, Slovakia’s standout player, netted his third goal of the tournament, becoming the joint-top scorer at Euro 2024. Schranz’s strike also marked the first time England had fallen behind in this tournament, with the Slovak forward now only trailing Robert Vittek’s four goals for Slovakia in a single major tournament.
England’s Struggles Continue
England’s first-half performance was lackluster, failing to record a single shot on target, a rare occurrence in the knockout stages of a major tournament. The last time England endured such a dry spell in a knockout game was during the infamous 1986 World Cup quarter-final against Argentina, remembered for the ‘Hand of God’ goal.
Despite expectations of tactical changes at halftime, Southgate surprisingly kept the same lineup. England thought they had equalized early in the second half, but Phil Foden’s effort was ruled out for offside.
As the clock ticked down, England’s chances seemed to be slipping away. It wasn’t until the 66th minute that Southgate made a substitution, bringing on Cole Palmer to replace the injured Kieran Trippier. Even with the change, England’s attacking threat remained muted, with Declan Rice coming closest by hitting the post.
Bellingham and Kane to the Rescue
Just when it seemed England were destined for an early exit, Jude Bellingham stepped up with a sensational overhead kick in the 95th minute, breaking Slovakia’s resistance and sending the match into extra time. Bellingham’s goal, timed at 94:34, was England’s latest-ever goal in regulation time at a European Championship and ended a 272-minute goal drought for the Three Lions.
Barely 50 seconds into extra time, Harry Kane headed in the winner after Ivan Toney’s clever assist. Kane’s goal not only secured England’s place in the quarter-finals but also set a record for the fastest goal in extra time at the UEFA European Championship. With 14 goals across World Cup and Euro tournaments, Kane now ranks among Europe’s top scorers, trailing only legends like Cristiano Ronaldo, Miroslav Klose, Gerd Müller, and Jürgen Klinsmann.
Narrow Escape and Lessons Learned
England’s victory was a close call, drawing parallels to their shocking Euro 2016 exit against Iceland. Slovakia, ranked 45th in the world, came close to delivering another giant-killing blow. However, two moments of brilliance from Bellingham and Kane kept England’s tournament hopes alive and likely saved Southgate’s job.
Key Post-Match Insights
- England’s Resilience: England have now won their last four UEFA European Championship matches after conceding first, a testament to their resilience. Only France has more such comebacks in the tournament’s history.
- Slovakia’s Threat: Slovakia’s Ivan Schranz remains a key figure, now tied as Euro 2024’s top scorer. His three goals are the most by a Slovak player at a major tournament since Robert Vittek’s four at the 2010 World Cup.
- Disciplinary Records: England’s three yellow cards within the first 17 minutes set a new record for the earliest a team has received three cautions in a single match at the UEFA European Championship.
As England prepares for their quarter-final against Switzerland, they will need to address their slow starts and lackluster performances to have any hope of advancing further in Euro 2024. Despite the win, it’s clear that improvement is necessary if they are to live up to their pre-tournament billing as one of the favorites.
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