England looked set for an embarrassing exit in Gelsenkirchen when Ivan Schranz scored to put Slovakia ahead, but Jude Bellingham scored an amazing stoppage time goal to keep England in contention.
Gareth Southgate made his inaugural switch, replacing Conor Gallagher with Kobbie Mainoo from Manchester United as midfield adventurer Kobbie Mainoo provided much-needed excitement.
In this article, we will discuss the main points of England National Football Team Vs Slovakia National Football Team Stats.
England Starting XI:
| No. | Player | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jordan Pickford | Goalkeeper |
| 2 | Kyle Walker | Defender |
| 5 | John Stones | Defender |
| 6 | Marc Guéhi | Defender |
| 12 | Kieran Trippier | Defender |
| 4 | Declan Rice | Midfielder |
| 26 | Kobbie Mainoo | Midfielder |
| 7 | Bukayo Saka | Forward |
| 10 | Jude Bellingham | Midfielder |
| 11 | Phil Foden | Forward |
| 9 | Harry Kane (Captain) | Forward |
Slovakia Starting XI:
| No. | Player | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Martin Dúbravka | Goalkeeper |
| 2 | Peter Pekarík | Defender |
| 3 | Denis Vavro | Defender |
| 14 | Milan Škriniar | Defender |
| 16 | Dávid Hancko | Defender |
| 19 | Juraj Kucka | Midfielder |
| 22 | Stanislav Lobotka | Midfielder |
| 8 | Ondrej Duda | Midfielder |
| 26 | Ivan Schranz | Forward |
| 18 | Dávid Strelec | Forward |
| 17 | Lukáš Haraslín | Forward |
For a detailed breakdown of the match events and substitutions, you can refer to the match report on Sky Sports.
England National Football Team
The England national football team represents England at international men’s football competitions. Administered by the Football Association – an affiliate of FIFA – they compete biannually at both FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship tournaments.
England holds a significant place in the history of football. It was one of the earliest to form national teams, taking part in some of the first matches between nations. Alongside Scotland, its national football team first played at Oval Stadium on March 5, 1870 – this marked an historic first matchup.
Initial success for the team was modest; they did not win any major tournaments until 1966 when they hosted and won the World Cup tournament, providing a tremendous boost to both themselves and the nation at large. Furthermore, it marked their first appearance in a final of the UEFA European Championship competition.
After winning their initial title, the team went on to do well, winning two more championships and qualifying for several tournaments including both 1974 and 1978 World Cups and both Euro finals (in 1988 and 1996 respectively).
Gareth Southgate currently oversees England as manager. Taking over after Fabio Capello stepped down, Southgate previously served as manager at Crystal Palace and Liverpool FC before his appointment as England manager in 2012. Southgate has received much praise from both his players and other observers for his style of play and leadership abilities as a manager.
The England national football team logo features three vertically-stacked lions that symbolize the Royal Coat of Arms for England and are used as a reminder of our country’s heritage; first employed by King George V to commemorate his Silver Jubilee. Since then it has become part of their flag and widely recognized globally as a signatory symbol.
The English national team plays its home games at Wembley Stadium in London and its headquarters at St George’s Park in Burton upon Trent. Their traditional home kit consists of white shirts, navy blue shorts, and either white or black socks; on occasion they may wear an alternate kit as well.
Slovakia National Football Team
Slovakia have been recognised as an official national team since their separation from Czech Republic in 1993, yet have participated in only four major tournaments since then. Their most successful outing came in 2010, when a 3-0 win against reigning World Champions Italy allowed them to progress all the way into quarter-finals play-offs.
Slovaks fell to eventual runners-up Holland in their group match but made an encouraging showing nonetheless. They went on to qualify for Euro 2000 but their campaign was marred by scandal when manager Vladimir Weiss was removed in favor of Michal Hipp and Stanislav Griga – thus rendering the tournament null and void for Slovak fans.
Slovakia surprised many by finishing fourth in their group but quickly advanced to the 2024 European Championship qualifiers, winning all three of their matches and scoring 11 goals during that process.
Slovakia currently ranks 14th globally and their most successful club is SK Slovan Bratislava with its distinctive sky-blue hue, representing their nation since 1919 and winning 24 titles during their illustrious existence, the only club from former Czechoslovakia ever winning one of Europe’s premier competitions.
Slovakia boasts a squad that comprises players from Europe’s premier clubs, providing them with an abundance of international experience to draw upon. Their goalkeeping coach Jan Novota had only modest playing credentials but is widely respected for his coaching expertise – having served on Maurizio Sarri’s coaching staff at Napoli before taking over as Slovak national team manager in 2022.
One of the highlights of his tenure as manager was winning against Italy, widely considered the country’s greatest victory ever. They are known for possessing an aggressive, attacking style and boast a talented group of players such as Milan Skriniar (PSG), Peter Pekarik (Hertha Berlin), Henrik Ravas (Fulham) and Robert Vittek (Napoli).
Head-to-Head Record
The Three Lions were on the brink of an embarrassing exit from Euro 2024 against a team ranked 40 places lower, never having won a knockout game at any major tournament before – until Jude Bellingham produced an amazing moment and Harry Kane scored late on at Gelsenkirchen to rescue their efforts.
Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at England and Slovakia’s relationship, both competitive and non-competitive matches alike. England have yet to lose against Slovakia in competitive matches; indeed they have won five out of their previous six encounters against them!
After an initially tentative start, England quickly settled down with crisp passing and dangerous breakaways from Kieran Trippier – Kieran Trippier being especially troublesome to Slovakia as he ran through the center. Unfortunately for England though, their chances were dealt a blow in the 66th minute when Harry Kane was forced off due to injury and replaced by Tomas Suslov.
Slovakia was determined to push forward from the break, and Eberechi Eze was on guard against their attempts at isolating him on the left flank. However, Eze helped counter their first threat of extra time – an errant cross which was cleared behind for a corner kick – with ease.
Robert Bozenik then saw his long-range effort deceive Pickford before it drifted wide of its target. Kyle Walker then marshalled another dangerous crossing away for a corner kick.
England were on edge as they entered the final quarter of extra time, with Eberechi Eze looking to guide England into more secure defensive positioning on the left flank and Kobbie Mainoo providing much-needed energy and pace in midfield. Mainoo proved himself as an inspiring midfielder whose smart touches would undoubtedly add much-needed experience and versatility to England’s squad.
Declan Rice became embroiled in an exchange with Slovakia coaching staff that escalated rapidly before referee Umut Meler signalled a yellow card for Declan’s actions, Ramsdale intervened to calm Rice down as he began throwing abuse at coaches before Ivan Toney led him off as his England teammates cheered loudly for him to leave the pitch.
Prediction
Jude Bellingham scored in stoppage time to save Gareth Southgate’s side from embarrassment and secure their passage into the quarter-finals of Euro 2024. England were in danger of suffering an embarrassing loss against Slovakia until an amazing overhead kick from Leicester City youngster Jude Bellingham saved them.
In such circumstances, this was an incredible piece of skill in difficult conditions – an unforgettable moment that will live long in the memory. And it showed that Southgate has indeed developed his desired team.
England have managed to win four out of six major tournament matches after conceding an opening goal – only France has done it more often!
John Stones has been an underwhelming performer this tournament and was caught off-guard as Slovakia launched an attack down their right flank with the ball. Additionally, Robert Bozenik’s long-range shot nearly looped over Jordan Pickford and into the goal before striking.
But it is encouraging that he has begun to mature into his role as the senior member of central defence. Though initially struggling with some of the opposition forwards’ pace, he is steadily getting better with every game played.
Trent Alexander-Arnold continues to show signs of becoming the player many anticipated when he joined Liverpool from Chelsea in 2021. He can play across the centre of the pitch and his set-piece delivery is remarkable, making him an essential member of this England team and possessing game-winning potential.
Cole Palmer and Anthony Gordon could play key roles in helping this side reach Paris and advance to the final eight of this competition. Both possess quality and versatility to cover various midfield positions with ease and their freshness could prove critical if England are to do well in the competition.