England take on Slovakia in Gelsenkirchen this afternoon with a place in the Euro 2024 quarter-finals up for grabs.
The game kicks off at 5pm UK time and is being shown on ITV.
📰 Table Of Contents
Team News
England will hope to give a better performance against Slovakia after three uninspiring displays in Group C. They opened with a 1-0 defeat of Serbia and followed that up with draws against Denmark and Slovenia.
Manager Gareth Southgate has made just one change with Kobbie Mainoo coming in for Conor Gallagher. The Manchester United teenager replaced Gallagher at half-time of the Slovenia game and gave an assured performance alongside Declan Rice at the base of England’s midfield.
Ready for the Round of 16! 🫡 pic.twitter.com/PmveLPu4hE
— England (@England) June 30, 2024
Kieran Trippier continues at left-back despite struggling with a calf problem earlier in the week. Luke Shaw is on the bench as he steps up his comeback from injury.
Elsewhere, Southgate has kept faith with England’s front four despite a lack of cohesion in recent games. A lot more will be expected of Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham,, Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka with Cole Palmer and Anthony Gordon itching to get more game time.
Slovakia are unchanged from the side that drew 1-1 with Romania last time out.
England (4-2-3-1) Pickford; Walker, Stones, Guehi, Trippier; Rice, Mainoo; Saka, Bellingham, Foden; Kane.
Slovakia (4-3-3) Dubravka; Pekarik, Vavro, Skriniar, Hancko; Kucka, Lobotka, Duda; Schranz, Strelec, Haraslin.
🇸🇰 Beginning for Slovakia…#EURO2024 | #ENGSVK pic.twitter.com/Pp1z0fb6lw
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 30, 2024
What they said
Southgate knows England have underperformed but is not placing too much emphasis on their struggles so far.
“Everything that’s happened is now pretty irrelevant,” he said. “We have things we can build on but this is also a different test, a different phase.
“Each game takes place on its own merit and can take a wild direction at times. This is the exciting part and it’s the bit nobody can predict.
“We need to find our next level, which I believe we can. Slovakia are a very well-coached team and they’ve got a clear playing identity.”
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Slovakia advanced after finishing third in Group E, which also contained Belgium, Romania and Ukraine.
Coach Francesco Calzona has vowed to stick to his high press style which may suit an England squad he believes is the best at Euro 2024.
He said: “I think that when England will give great performances as a group they will become unbeatable.
“We need to make the most of everything that they could concede, but we need to be very careful because they have a top-quality squad.
“I think that they have the best squad of the Euros because they have physicality, technique and also creativeness.”
