England narrowly avoided an early exit from Euro 2024 on Sunday, coming from behind to defeat Slovakia 2-1 in extra time and secure a place in the quarterfinals. In a tense match in Gelsenkirchen, Jude Bellingham’s spectacular overhead kick deep into injury time leveled the score, rescuing the Three Lions from elimination.
Slovakia took a surprising lead in the 25th minute through Ivan Schranz, capitalizing on defensive uncertainty. England struggled to find an equalizer, and a goal from Phil Foden was disallowed for offside, adding to the pressure on Gareth Southgate’s side.
As the match headed into stoppage time, England’s hopes were fading until Bellingham’s moment of brilliance. The Real Madrid midfielder acrobatically turned home Marc Guehi’s flick-on, igniting celebrations among the England supporters.
With momentum on their side, England secured the victory just a minute into extra time. Substitute Ivan Toney headed Eberechi Eze’s mishit shot across goal, allowing Harry Kane to powerfully finish for his second goal of the tournament.
“That’s the desire and the attitude from the boys. It looked tough for a second there, but you keep going,” said Kane. “Jude does what Jude does and what an unbelievable goal.”
Manager Gareth Southgate acknowledged the team’s struggles but praised their resilience: “We want to be better. I’m not going to hide from that, but the spirit and character were there for everybody to see, and we’re still in there fighting.”
Slovakia’s coach Francesco Calzona expressed pride despite the defeat: “My team showed a lot out there. They were great, gave away very little, and came close to going through. In extra time, we were in their half for long periods. I’m very proud.”
England will face Switzerland in the quarterfinals on Saturday in Düsseldorf.
In another Round of 16 match, Spain eased past Georgia with a 4-1 victory. The win sets up a mouthwatering quarterfinal showdown with hosts Germany. Spain’s attacking prowess was on full display, signaling their intent to challenge for the title.
Reference(s):
England avoid shock at Euro 2024 as Spain ease into quarterfinals
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