England take on Slovakia in the round of 16 as the Euro 2024 knockouts continue today. Gareth Southgate’s side have returned to Gelsenkirchen for this clash, playing in the only stadium to yield a win for them so far in the tournament.
After a slim victory over Serbia and two unconvincing draws versus Denmark and Slovenia, the Three Lions need to put in a strong performance if they hope to comfortably reach the last eight. With the team and manager under heavy scrutiny for their style of play a win over Slovakia will ease concerns going forward.
Despite outside noise, Southgate insists his players have no fear of the knockout rounds and told the media: “It could be another brilliant night to create more memories for our supporters. Tomorrow, it’s about the team progressing. We shouldn’t have a fear of losing, it’s about opportunity. We are trying to reach for something which is a challenge.”
Slovakia reached this round by sneaking through a tight Group E having finished on the same number of points as Romania, Belgium and Ukraine. They had a goal difference of zero and secured third spot to set up this encounter with England.
Follow all the build-up and latest updates as England prepare for their last-16 fixture:
England v Slovakia LIVE
-
England take on Slovakia in the last 16 of Euro 2024 with kick off at 5pm, live on ITV 1
-
England make only one change with Mainoo in for Gallagher
-
Phil Foden has returned to the England camp after attending the birth of this child
-
Winner of this match will go on to face Switzerland in quarter-finals
-
MIGUEL DELANEY: England’s first few touches against Slovakia will reveal everything about their Euro 2024 hopes
-
RICHARD JOLLY: Penalty shootouts are no longer a lottery and England may just have the edge
-
England XI: Pickford; Walker, Stones, Guehi, Trippier; Mainoo, Rice, Bellingham; Saka, Kane, Foden
-
Slovakia XI: Dubravka; Pekarik, Vavro, Skriniar, Hancko; Kucka, Lobotka, Duda; Schranz, Strelec, Haraslin.
England – Slovakia
England vs Slovakia
16:50 , Harry Latham-Coyle
A potential late worry for England: Jordan Pickford appears to have hurt himself warming up.
England vs Slovakia
16:42 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Kick off is swiftly approaching in Gelsenkirchen, where so far it seems that there has been no repeat of the travel issues that fans dealt with earlier in the tournament at the venue.
Your officials today are led by Turkey’s Umut Meler, by the way. Marco Fritz of Germany is on VAR duties.
England vs Slovakia
16:34 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Today marks another major bound forward in the remarkably rapid development of Kobbie Mainoo, who has risen from relative obscurity at the start of the season to be an England starter in a Euros knockout tie. Our Chief Football Writer Miguel Delaney tells the tale of the teenage midfielder:
Kobbie Mainoo’s stunning rise could be about to see its biggest moment yet
Slovakia’s new approach brings a belief they can beat England
16:24 , Harry Latham-Coyle
An experienced squad, a playing style built to get the best out of them and a national hero on the coaching staff – Lukas Vrablik explains the key qualities that give Slovakia belief that a quarter-final berth will be theirs.
Forget the ‘easy draw’ – why Slovakia believe they can beat England
England vs Slovakia
16:15 , Harry Latham-Coyle
So broadly as expected from both managers, with Gareth Southgate resisting the urge to rip things up. Can England get out of second gear this evening? It is striking how poor their forward line has been in the last two games particularly. If Slovakia do maintain their high-pressing style, you would think that will open up opportunities to play with greater pace and more directly.
Gareth Southgate gives his pre-match thoughts to ITV
16:04 , Harry Latham-Coyle
On his selection, Southgate says: “I think those players over a period of time have proven themselves to be our best. We saw signs that our attack was starting to come together in our last game. We’ve got good players on the bench to come on and change things.
“They’ve pressed high in their previous games. We’ve got to be good enough to play through that pressure. We need composure and resilience – as we saw last night, anything can happen in these games. We’ve got to be ready to deal with that.”
Team news – Slovakia
15:58 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Francesco Calzona sticks with the same starting line-up from the draw with Romania
Slovakia XI: Dubravka; Pekarik, Vavro, Skriniar, Hancko; Kucka, Lobotka, Duda; Schranz, Strelec, Haraslin.
Team news – England
15:51 , Harry Latham-Coyle
A single alteration for England, with Kobbie Mainoo in for Conor Gallagher in midfield.
England XI: Pickford; Walker, Stones, Guehi, Trippier; Mainoo, Rice, Bellingham; Saka, Kane, Foden.
Gareth Southgate says trying to win Euros with England ‘the ultimate challenge’
15:50 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Under-fire Gareth Southgate is embracing expectations and the “ultimate challenge” of trying to win the Euros rather than worrying whether tonight’s last-16 clash with Slovakia could be his final match.
Boos, and even some plastic cups, were aimed the long-serving manager’s way after Tuesday’s miserable 0-0 draw with Slovenia, which saw them win Group C but left fans and pundits unhappy.
Southgate knows the team have to find their “next level” as the knockout phase gets under way against Slovakia in Gelsenkirchen, where they recorded their only win of these Euros a fortnight ago against Serbia.
Gareth Southgate says trying to win Euros with England ‘the ultimate challenge’
Harry Kane insists he will be at ‘peak sharpness’ for England against Slovakia
15:35 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Harry Kane believes he will be at “peak sharpness” as he looks to continue his fine knockout goalscoring record for England at Euro 2024.
Captain Kane may be England’s all-time leading goalscorer but his strike in the draw with Denmark was his first in the group stage of a major finals since the 2018 World Cup.
However, he will be buoyed by his recent record once the business end of the tournament begins against Slovakia on Sunday, having scored four in four at Euro 2020 as England were eventually beaten on penalties by Italy.
Harry Kane insists he will be at ‘peak sharpness’ for England against Slovakia
Gareth Southgate: England have to be ‘right on our game’ against Slovakia
15:20 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Harry Kane hopes Ben Stokes chat can inspire England at Euro 2024
15:05 , Luke Baker
Harry Kane is hoping a pre-Euro 2024 chat with England Test cricket captain Ben Stokes can provide inspiration against Slovakia on Sunday.
Stokes visited the England squad at their Middlesbrough training base before Gareth Southgate’s men jetted off to Germany.
Having topped their group despite widespread criticism for their performances, England now face Slovakia in Gelsenkirchen for a shot at reaching the Euro 2024 quarter-finals.
Stokes was invited to speak to the squad by Southgate and skipper Kane revealed he spent an hour picking the brains of a man who has won the World Cup in 2019 and the T20 equivalent three years later.
Harry Kane hopes Ben Stokes chat can inspire England at Euro 2024
England fans ready for the match
14:50 , Luke Baker
England fans are gathering in Gelsenkirchen ahead of the game. The supporters out in force
England vs Slovakia referee: Who is Euro 2024 official Umut Meler?
14:35 , Luke Baker
Umut Meler will take charge of England’s last-16 clash against Slovakia at Euro 2024 tonight.
The 37-year-old Turkish referee, who has been a FIFA-listed official since 2017 and a member of the UEFA Elite group for two years, was the man in the middle for Belgium’s group game against Slovakia and Poland’s group stage clash with Austria.
Meler returned to refereeing this year despite being attacked and hospitalised by MKE Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca following a game in the Turkish Super Lig in December 2023. He sustained a facial fracture and bleeding to the eye, but no permanent damage.
Meler took charge of Liverpool’s first-leg clash against Atalanta in the Europa League in April. Euro 2024 is his first major international tournament.
Referee: Umut Meler (TUR)
Assistant Referees: Emre Eyisoy (TUR) and Kerem Ersoy (TUR)
Video Assistant Referee: Marco Fritz (GER)
Assistant VAR 1: Christian Dingert (GER)
Assistant VAR 2: Tomasz Kwiatkowski (POL)
Fourth official: Rade Obrenovic (SVN)
Gareth Southgate makes rallying call ahead of Slovakia match: ‘It’s time for England to deliver’
14:20 , Luke Baker
Under-fire Gareth Southgate says it is time to deliver as England attempt to put an underwhelming group stage behind them by making improvements and progressing past Slovakia in the round of 16.
England are favourites for today’s tie, with Slovakia head coach Francesco Calzona saying they have the best squad at the Euros and can become “unbeatable” if they click as a team.
In a press conference on Saturday, Southgate said: “We know that some parts of our game we’ve executed well and some we need to do better. But I’ve seen a lot of signs within the game against the Slovenia and since then that’s starting to come so, yeah, I’m excited about the game tomorrow.”
Emma Raducanu supporting England
14:05 , Luke Baker
Tennis star Emma Raducanu begins her Wimbledon campaign tomorrow but she’s been showing her support for the Three Lions at SW19 today, rocking up in an England jersey.
Talking points as England face Slovakia
13:50 , Luke Baker
It’s a knockout for Kane
Harry Kane may be England’s all-time leading goalscorer but his strike in the draw with Denmark was his first in the group stage of a major finals since the 2018 World Cup.
The England skipper, though, will be buoyed by his recent record once the business end of the tournament comes around and Southgate will be hoping history repeats itself.
He scored four in four at Euro 2020 as England were eventually beaten on penalties by Italy, and at the World Cup in 2022 he again drew a blank in the group stage before scoring two in two – although he did miss a penalty in the quarter-final defeat to France.
Talking points as England face Slovakia
13:35 , Luke Baker
Left-back limbo
Southgate opted to select Luke Shaw as the only natural left-back in his 26-man squad, that despite the fact the Manchester United defender has not played since a hamstring injury in February.
Shaw is now back training with the rest of his team-mates and his return could be timely, especially with fitness concerns over Kieran Trippier, who has been filling in on the left side of defence despite being right-footed.
If neither can face Slovakia, Southgate will have to choose between Joe Gomez and Ezri Konsa to fill the gap or move Kyle Walker across from right-back. He could even take the radical step of dropping Bukayo Saka out of his attack but the Arsenal man said on Friday he does not see himself as the solution.
Talking points as England face Slovakia
13:20 , Luke Baker
Slovakia aiming for the record books
While England will be heavy favourites against a nation ranked 45th in the FIFA world rankings, Slovakia have shown what they can do with a win over Belgium in Group E, a result which ultimately saw them progress in third place.
As an independent nation, Slovakia have never made it past the last 16 at a European Championship and Francesco Calzona’s side will be keen to reach the quarter-finals to extend their run in Germany.
Ivan Schranz scored twice in the group game and will be considered one of the dangermen, while Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka will be aiming to keep England at bay at the other end of the pitch.
Talking points as England face Slovakia
13:05 , Luke Baker
The Mainoo Man
Kobbie Mainoo stepped up for England when he came on in the second half of the goalless draw with Slovenia last time out and will be pushing to start against Slovakia as a result.
Declan Rice remains a mainstay of the England midfield but selecting the right partner for Arsenal’s £105million club-record signing has seen Southgate trial a number of options across the group stage.
Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold was the first to be given a go, only to be substituted off in the first two games as Southgate admitted the “experiment” may not have worked out.
Conor Gallagher, who replaced Alexander-Arnold in those two fixtures, started against Slovenia but was hauled off at half-time for Mainoo, the Manchester United man slotting in seamlessly to give his chances of a first competitive England start a huge boost.
Talking points as England face Slovakia
12:50 , Luke Baker
Southgate’s last stand?
Having led England into a fourth major tournament as manager, Southgate’s future remains uncertain – especially given the criticism he has faced in Germany.
He was jeered following the Slovenia game and had plastic beer cups thrown in his direction from fans frustrated by the performance.
It is a far cry from when Southgate guided England to the World Cup semi-finals in 2018 and the Euro 2020 final at Wembley three years ago and an exit at the hands of Slovakia would likely see his tenure come to an end.
Forget the ‘easy draw’ – Slovakia’s new approach brings a belief they can beat England
12:35 , Luke Baker
On Sunday, Slovakia take on England in the Round of 16 in Gelsenkirchen. An advance to the knockout stages – their second in eight years – is already a big success, but Slovakia feel there is more to achieve against a heavily criticised Gareth Southgate side.
That’s especially true after a surprising 1-0 win against Belgium, the Group E favourites, in their opening game of the tournament. After the match, Slovakia’s players danced and sang along to a popular folk song Macejko, Macejko with a huge group of travelling supporters in Frankfurt, among which sat former internationals Martin Skrtel and Jan Durica.
Goalkeeper Martin Dubravka praised the fans, calling them “fantastic” and said he heard them in the second half even though he was in front of the Belgian stand. Slovakia have managed to get supporters on their side again – and they will see there’s another struggling giant out there for the taking.
Slovakian journalist Lukas Vrablik gives us the lowdown on today’s opponents:
Forget the ‘easy draw’ – why Slovakia believe they can beat England
Bukayo Saka offers blunt response to suggestion he should be England’s left-back
12:22 , Luke Baker
Bukayo Saka has insisted he is not the answer to England’s left-back problem.
The Arsenal winger has operated as a left wing-back earlier in his career while Gareth Southgate has used Kieran Trippier out of position on the left of his defence in the extended absence of Luke Shaw.
Saka’s mentor Ian Wright has voiced his opinion that he could fill in to give England a natural left-footer and someone who can provide more attacking incision from defence.
But the 22-year-old told BBC 5 Live: “No, obviously I love Ian Wright and he says so many great things about me but I don’t think putting me out of position is the solution. But at the end of the day, I think we can we can talk about this but it’s in Gareth’s hands so we will just have to trust whoever Gareth selects on the day.”
Bukayo Saka offer blunt response to suggestion he should be England’s left-back
Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham have taken significant measures to improve on-field relationship
12:01 , Luke Baker
Harry Kane has revealed that he and Jude Bellingham are discussing how to build an understanding after two of England’s star men have barely combined at Euro 2024 so far.
Bellingham and Kane are England’s two goalscorers so far but they only exchanged one pass in the 0-0 draw against Slovenia and they have studied video footage as they look to dovetail better.
Striker Kane nevertheless believes they are closer to gelling and said he has no concerns about the form of Bellingham, who has had two quiet games after scoring the winner against Serbia.
Bellingham turned 21 on Saturday and the England players sang “Happy Birthday” to him at training but Kane has also had more serious conversations about how they can bring the best out of each other.
Kane and Bellingham have taken significant measures to improve on-field relationship
Micah Richards belts out Bob Marley song with Danny Murphy and Alan Shearer
11:45 , Luke Baker
The BBC punditry crew seem to have been enjoying their downtime in Germany!
Penalty shootouts are no longer a lottery and England may just have the edge
11:30 , Luke Baker
For Gareth Southgate, there is always the possibility it will come back to penalties. It is his history; England’s, too. It is also the nature of international football. The last World Cup final was decided on spot kicks, along with two quarter-finals and two last-16 ties. In Euro 2020, they determined a last-16 game, a quarter-final, a semi-final and, as England know to their cost, the final.
And yet this season’s Champions League contained its first shootout since the 2016 final. Maybe it is a consequence of one-off ties in neutral venues, maybe the way the margins can be narrower in the international game when managers lack the same time to develop a style of play and a level of cohesion to win games in regulation time. Or perhaps it is just something innate to the England manager and his team.
It is 28 years now since Andreas Kopke dived to his right to parry Southgate’s rather tame spot kick in Euro ’96. Southgate himself is responsible for bringing more thought, more practice, more science to the discipline a variety of players and managers used to describe simply as “a lottery”. Perhaps it wasn’t when England got their cathartic win against Colombia in the 2018 World Cup. Planning and practice did not make perfect against Italy in the Euro 2020 final, however. Even the tournament when his England did not have a shootout featured a crucial penalty, ballooned by Harry Kane over Hugo Lloris’ bar as France won a 2022 World Cup quarter-final.
And so to England against Slovakia. With Southgate’s side low-scoring and drawing their last two matches, with Slovakia having three tight group games, the chances of a shootout in Gelsenkirchen seem still greater. “We’ll prepare as thoroughly as we always do but we are always refining that process,” said the England manager. “We want as much control of that process as we possibly can. We have prepared over a period of time.”
Read Richard Jolly’s take on the possibility of a penalty shootout:
Penalty shootouts are no longer a lottery and England may just have the edge
England’s first few touches against Slovakia will reveal everything about their Euro 2024 hopes
11:15 , Luke Baker
In the last few days before tonight’s Slovakia game, Harry Kane has been sitting with Jude Bellingham to watch clips of their play together in the group so far. It is telling that there isn’t that much of it. Bellingham has already earned a reputation as a young player who will tell almost anyone what he thinks, but he knows to listen to the captain. Kane has been talking to him about what they can do to become more fluid.
It is also why Southgate tends to leave the final words before big games to Kane, and some of the other senior players. The striker isn’t the most expansive speaker, but he can be to the point. That’s all Southgate feels England need now.
“There are moments where you touch on certain things, but we have been delivering messages all week,” the manager said. “By the time you get to the kick-off, less is better. The players are normally ready and you expect them, with their experience, to be in the right zone and the right frame of mind.”
Read Miguel Delaney’s full preview of England v Slovakia:
England’s first few touches against Slovakia will reveal everything
England route to the Euro 2024 final
11:00 , Luke Baker
England topped Group C at Euro 2024 in unconvincing fashion and are through to the knockout stages.
Gareth Southgate’s team toiled in all three matches, struggling to create chances as they edged Serbia 1-0, drew 1-1 with Denmark and then endured a drab 0-0 stalemate with Slovenia in their final game. It was enough to win the group, however, mainly because all three matches not involving England ended in draws.
England will need a huge improvement in the knockout phase of the competition if they are to live up to their pre-tournament billing as one of the favourites, but they have had a stroke of fortune with the draw.
Austria’s surprise conquest of Group D has sent France over to what now looks like the toughest half, containing hosts Germany and previous champions Spain, Portugal and Denmark.
So, will England take advantage? Here is their route to the final of Euro 2024.
What is England’s route to the final of Euro 2024?
Early England team news
10:45 , Luke Baker
Gareth Southgate ruled Luke Shaw out of England’s final Euro 2024 group match against Slovenia but there are hopes that the left-back will be fit to play a part in balancing out the defence especially after Kieran Trippier seemingly picked up a knock in the game.
The manager is still searching for his ideal midfield pairing with Kobbie Mainoo putting forward a strong case to start alongside Declan Rice with his performance against Slovenia. Expect him to get the nod ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Conor Gallagher.
Phil Foden left the camp temporarily for personal reasons but returned to Germany on Friday. Southgate will need to assess whether he is fit to start with options to bring in Eberechi Eze or Anthony Gordon, with the Newcastle winger perhaps favoured to match Bukayo Saka’s pace on the opposite wing.
Predicted England XI: Pickford; Walker, Guehi, Stones, Trippier; Rice, Mainoo; Saka, Bellingham, Foden; Kane
How to watch England v Slovakia
10:30 , Luke Baker
The match will kick off at 5pm BST on Sunday 30 June at the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen, the only venue England have won at so far in the tournament.
It will be shown on ITV1 with coverage starting around 3.30pm. The match can also be streamed live online via the ITVX platform and app. You can find a full list of which channel is showing each match here.
If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.
Everything you need to know about England v Slovakia
10:15 , Luke Baker
England face Slovakia in their first knockout match at Euro 2024 in what turns out to be a favourable draw for Gareth Southgate’s side. Faced with the prospect of playing the Netherlands in the last 16, Georgia’s historic win over Portugal means England instead go up against Group E’s third-place finishers.
That is the benefit of topping Group C and the reward for not losing any of their group games. Southgate’s side have failed to impress over their three matches having scored just two goals without providing a consistent threat. Yet, they went through unbeaten and know they have the scope for mass improvement.
Questions have been asked about England’s formation and personnel as pundits, fans and the players themselves all seek solutions to a lack of spark shown so far.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the game:
England v Slovakia TV channel and how to watch Euro 2024 fixture online
Gareth Southgate once freed England’s players – now he risks suffocating them
10:00 , Mike Jones
When Gareth Southgate talks about being “very careful” not to go back to the old England “environment”, there are specific moments he is thinking of.
One memory that stands out was when Southgate himself was picked to play midfield rather than centre-half for the infamous 1-0 defeat to Germany in 2000, which was the last match at the old Wembley. He and Kevin Keegan — the manager about to resign due to how unenjoyable the job was — had been savaged for it before the game. It got worse afterwards.
Just a few months before that, Southgate’s usual centre-half partner Tony Adams had a specific message for newcomer Steven Gerrard. Adams went right up to the midfielder’s face and screamed “Are you f****** ready for this?!”
Gareth Southgate once freed England’s players – now he risks suffocating them
Phil Foden rejoins England squad ahead of Euro 2024 clash with Slovakia
09:45 , Mike Jones
Phil Foden is rejoining the England squad in Germany after the birth of his third child.
The Manchester City winger returned to the United Kingdom for a flying visit but will return to Germany and should be in contention for the round of 16 tie against Slovakia in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday.
Foden, who also has a daughter, was present at the birth of his second son. The 24-year-old has started all three of England’s matches in Euro 2024 so far and could now keep his place for the knockout stages.
Phil Foden rejoins England squad ahead of Euro 2024 clash with Slovakia
Luke Shaw not ready to start for England against Slovakia but could feature
09:30 , Mike Jones
Gareth Southgate says Luke Shaw is not ready to start for England but might still be able to feature in the Euro 2024 last-16 clash against Slovakia.
The Euro 2020 finalists return to the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen as they get their knockout phase under way on Sunday.
All 26 players trained at their Blankenhain base on Saturday lunchtime, including Shaw as he looks to make his first appearance since sustaining a hamstring issue in mid-February.
Luke Shaw not ready to start for England against Slovakia but could feature
“Slovakia test is a chance to improve aspects of our game” says Southgate
09:15 , Mike Jones
Under-fire Gareth Southgate says it is time to deliver as England attempt to put an underwhelming group stage behind them by making improvements and progressing past Slovakia in the round of 16.
The road to Berlin has begun in unconvincing fashion for the Euro 2020 runners-up, with boos greeting the end of the 1-1 draw with Denmark and Tuesday’s goalless stalemate with Slovenia.
But England won Group C having started with a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Serbia at the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen, where they return for their first knockout match on Sunday.
Gareth Southgate: Slovakia test is a chance to improve aspects of our game
Gareth Southgate says England have ‘refined’ penalty preparations
09:00 , Mike Jones
Gareth Southgate has been refining England’s penalty shoot-out preparations in an attempt to prevent a repeat of their Euro 2020 heartbreak.
Having topped Group C despite attracting scathing criticism for their performances, England now face Slovakia in the last 16 of Euro 2024.
England lost the last European Championships final on penalties to Italy at Wembley as they came closer than ever to ending the wait for a major men’s trophy, a run which now stretches back 58 years.
Gareth Southgate says England have ‘refined’ penalty preparations
Gareth Southgate gives team update ahead of England’s match against Slovakia at Euro 2024
08:45 , Mike Jones
Gareth Southgate gave a team update on Saturday (29 June) ahead of England’s match against Slovakia at Euro 2024.
Under-fire Southgate says he is enjoying the “ultimate challenge” of trying to steer the England “juggernaut” to Euros glory as attention turns to improvements and knockout progress.
The road to Berlin has begun in unconvincing fashion for the Euro 2020 runners-up, with boos greeting the end of the 1-1 draw with Denmark and Tuesday’s 0-0 stalemate with Slovenia.
But England won Group C having started with a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Serbia at the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen, where they return for their first knockout match on Sunday.
Watch: Southgate gives update ahead of England’s match against Slovakia at Euro 2024
Harry Kane insists he will be at ‘peak sharpness’ for England against Slovakia
08:30 , Mike Jones
Harry Kane believes he will be at “peak sharpness” as he looks to continue his fine knockout goalscoring record for England at Euro 2024.
Captain Kane may be England’s all-time leading goalscorer but his strike in the draw with Denmark was his first in the group stage of a major finals since the 2018 World Cup.
However, he will be buoyed by his recent record once the business end of the tournament begins against Slovakia on Sunday, having scored four in four at Euro 2020 as England were eventually beaten on penalties by Italy.
Harry Kane insists he will be at ‘peak sharpness’ for England against Slovakia
Gareth Southgate says trying to win Euros with England ‘the ultimate challenge’
08:15 , Mike Jones
Under-fire Gareth Southgate is embracing expectations and the “ultimate challenge” of trying to win the Euros rather than worrying whether Sunday’s last-16 clash with Slovakia could be his final match.
Boos, and even some plastic cups, were aimed the long-serving manager’s way after Tuesday’s miserable 0-0 draw with Slovenia, which saw them win Group C but left fans and pundits unhappy.
Southgate knows the team have to find their “next level” as the knockout phase gets under way against Slovakia in Gelsenkirchen, where they recorded their only win of these Euros a fortnight ago against Serbia.
Gareth Southgate says trying to win Euros with England ‘the ultimate challenge’
Good morning!
08:00 , Mike Jones
Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of today’s Euro 2024 action which sees England back on the pitch as they take on Slovakia in the last-16.
Gareth Southgate’s men had failed to impress so far following three lacklustre performances though they did manage to finish top of Group C and set up a more favourable route to the final.
Their opponent’s today snuck through Group E after all four teams finished on four points. The Slovaks’ goal difference of zero was enough to secure them a spot in the knockouts rounds as Ukraine were eliminated.
Slovakia’s goal for the tournament was to qualify for this stage and now that they’re here they will believe that they can cause England a few problems and possibly even beat the struggling team.
Kick off for this one is at 5pm and we’ll have all the build-up, team news and updates throughout the day so stick around.