England dominates their European Championship group in a monotonous manner.
Third encounter, third underwhelming display: England continues to mystify and disappoint at the Champions Trophy in Football, managing to dodge a match against Germany for the time being. Slovenia clinched a draw for the Round of 16 with their scoreless tie against England.
Team England, a fan favorite, secured the group triumph with their unexciting performance at the Champions Trophy, avoiding an early Round of 16 matchup with the home team Germany. Led by coach Gareth Southgate, the team delivered another disappointing show against the long shot Slovenia in Cologne, but profited from the outcome of the simultaneous game between Denmark and Serbia (scoreless). Harry Kane and his teammates offered another lackluster display, with increasing criticism at home likely.
Slovenia walked away with a draw that earned them third position behind Germany's Denmark opponent and a spot in the Round of 16. With identical points and goal difference, the Fair Play ranking tipped the scales in favor of the 1992 European champions.
England's title ambitions remain elusive. Before their Round of 16 game on Sunday (6:00 PM CET) in Gelsenkirchen, they must dramatically step up their game to avoid an early exit, three years after reaching the final at Wembley. The potential opponents are then the Netherlands, who lost 2:3 early to Austria.
Fun Times in Cologne
Tens of thousands of English enthusiasts enjoyed a terrific summer day on the Rhine before the game. Already in the afternoon, the pubs and restaurants were bustling. The supporters of the Three Lions dominated and sang "Dancing in the Dark" by Bruce Springsteen, a popular anthem at this tournament, along with the hopping Dutch fans in orange.
A few particularly committed fans brought back pleasant memories of Cologne, where England had already aced the group stage in the 2006 World Cup. The goal was the same. After a few tough days with stern criticism, coach Southgate did what he has done since taking charge in 2016: He made minimal adjustments. With the traditional white polo shirt and only one substitution - Conor Gallagher for Trent Alexander-Arnold - after the 1:1 against Denmark, momentum for the already assured knockout phase was to be generated.
However, much of the first two dismal performances seemed to be repeated, with the only concern for the champions being the result. Jude Bellingham and John Stones made sloppy passes, followed by one blunder after another. And although the outsider from Slovenia only needed one point, Kek's team hesitated to attack due to the passive opposition. Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko (5th minute) missed the first opportunity with a header.
Cheers even for a corner kick
England's potential was displayed only sporadically, such as after 20 minutes: After a remarkable combination over Declan Rice and Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka scored what was believed to be the leading goal. But Foden had been offside beforehand.
Kane also found the Slovenian central defenders intimidating, his initial strikes on target were blocked or saved by goalkeeper Jan Oblak. Gallagher and Kane missed a sharp through-ball just before halftime, it was England's best chance. A deserved English lead after another 45 minutes of mediocre play would not have been merited. The performance was even less inspiring than in the previous games.
Southgate brought on youngster Kobbie Mainoo, who was visibly disgruntled with his previous limited role. However, not much happened on the field. Lacking notable attacks, English fans eagerly cheered every corner kick of their team, which was struggling to keep up with the physical competition. A powerful shot from Rice (73.) came close to missing the long corner by a hair's breadth.
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England's next challenge in the European Football Championship 2024 could see them face off against Slovenia, given their draw in the group stage. Despite England's dominance in their group, they failed to impress against the underdog Slovenia, with criticisms mounting at home.
In preparation for the potential clash, England needs to significantly improve their performance to avoid an early exit, as the Slovenian team showed they are not an easy opponent to underestimate.
