England are through to the round of 16 of Euro 2024 despite underwhelming performances in each of their three Group C matches, but Gareth Southgate will be confident that his side can raise their levels for their meeting with Slovakia.
The Falcons qualified for the knockout stages in third place - with each team in Group E finishing on four points - and they produced a major scalp on matchday one with a 1-0 victory over Belgium and so could cause the Three Lions some problems.
Group C hardly set the continent alight with just seven goals scored across the six matches and England scored 28% of these goals as they netted twice.
Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham headed in the only goal in England’s 1-0 opening win over Serbia, Harry Kane tapped home from close range in their 1-1 draw with Denmark and no member of Gareth Southgate’s squad could find the moment of quality as they were held to a shutout by Slovenia.
With so many of England’s star-studded attack underperforming, a low-scoring encounter in Gelsenkirchen should be expected and Slovakia will be more than happy to keep the scoreline low.
Two of Slovakia’s three group E fixtures saw winners in the under 2.5 goals market - including their shock opening game win over Belgium - while two of the last three meetings with the Three Lions have also seen fewer than three goals scored.
However, the Falcons have lost five of their six total meetings with England and so history is not on their side. With England conceding just three goals in 90 minutes across the last two European Championship finals, Slovakia may struggle to break through and so the Three Lions should be able to edge through to the quarter-finals.
England may not have looked at their free-flowing best in Germany but they have shown some ability at starting games quickly and a repeat of this feat could be in store.
Both of their two goals this tournament have come in the first half of games, with Bellingham and Kane’s strikes coming within the first 20 minutes, while five of their last seven matches in which they have scored have seen these goals come before the interval.
Slovakia have also shown their talents in front of goal early on with each of their three goals this tournament coming within the first 45 minutes. However, they have also had a tendency to concede in the first half of games, as they have done in seven of their last nine where they have failed to keep clean sheets.
A quick start could therefore be key for England to ensure progress to the next round and a goal in the first half looks a tempting prospect.
After Phil Foden left the England camp for the birth of his third child, Gareth Southgate may be forced to make a rare change to the starting line-up.
And although he has just 20 minutes of tournament football to his name so far in Germany, Cole Palmer could be in line to step up to plate, with many England fans clamouring for the Chelsea star to have a greater involvement in the competition.
Palmer made a difference when he was brought on against Slovenia, registering one shot on target as well as making five progressive passes as he looked to steer the Three Lions towards a winner.
Should the talented 22-year-old receive more game time, he could be the focal point for the England attack and after registering 33 goal contributions in 33 Premier League fixtures - including 22 goals - Palmer could be a strong bet to get on the scoresheet.
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England | -250 |
Tie | +333 |
Slovakia | +800 |
Harry Kane (England) | +110 |
Ivan Toney (England) | +150 |
Ollie Watkins (England) | +187 |
Phil Foden (England) | +225 |
Cole Palmer (England) | +250 |
Jude Bellingham (England) | +250 |
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.