England have been abject. They have carried hardly any attacking threat, which has been difficult to understand given the embarrassment of options at Southgate’s disposal. The constant need for pragmatism and defensive solidity over playing attacking football, has led fans and the media to question how much longer this approach, or Southgate, can surely last.
Slovakia are in the knockout stages thanks to their shock result against Belgium back at the start of the tournament. They held on in that match, thanks to 2 VAR interventions, and after the highs of that game they managed a solitary point from the fixtures against Ukraine and Romania. Slovakia have scored in each of their matches, a feat that England can’t match. They will know that with Southgate’s side desperately out of form, tonight could be the biggest result in their history.
30th June | 5pm – Gelsenkirchen