EURO 2024 match schedule today: When England's opponent is not only Slovakia

There was an ambush in Gelsenkirchen, as England faced Slovakia today (11pm 30/6).

Slovakia shock?

The warnings to Gareth Southgate 's side were raised as soon as the round of 16 draw was announced, revealing who England would face at this stage. A number of English football commentators have stressed that England must not underestimate Francesco Calzona's side, that it is not a very lopsided match on paper. Even some of the England fans I met in Germany shared that view. They said that a team that has beaten Belgium, a candidate for this tournament, is not a normal story. The Slovakian press wrote that they want to continue singing the traditional song "Macejko, Macejko" on the EURO roads. The Central European team will now hope to take advantage of this strange time for England to beat them and continue writing miracle stories on their journey. It was never going to be simple if England played the attacking football they once did, with the fighting spirit they once had, until Southgate held them back with his over-cautiousness. Defending well and keeping clean sheets seems to be the element Southgate places more emphasis on in his game and therefore limits the explosiveness of the players he has at his disposal.

Lịch thi đấu EURO 2024 hôm nay: Khi đối thủ của Anh không chỉ là Slovakia- Ảnh 1. — Coach Gareth Southgate's England team is unlikely to bring about a change in squad and playing style in the round of 16 against Slovakia.

What happened to Bellingham in the last two games, after shining and being praised for his only goal against Serbia? What happened to Foden, England’s best player at the moment? And what happened to the team’s fighting spirit after they took the lead against Serbia, Denmark and Slovenia? The anger of England fans reached its peak towards the end of the draw with Slovenia. They threw beer glasses at him, some of which landed in the stands where the players’ families were sitting. After the game, Southgate took responsibility for the criticism. He defended his players, but it is unclear whether he will make any changes for Slovakia, having made just one change against Slovenia (Gallagher starting for Alexander-Arnold). The result of that change was a big zero: no goals, no excitement, no joy. It was hard to expect a personnel revolution for the Slovakia game. It was the knockout stage now, and taking risks was not a trait Southgate possessed. But allowing the players to play more aggressively, faster, stronger, and more attacking was a given. Slovakia would be on the counter-attack, even pouring concrete in front of Dubravka's goal if necessary. They did, and they paid for it in the win over Belgium, and any mistake, no matter how small, would be costly. England were not without their moments of defensive difficulty. Despite conceding just one goal in three group games and playing relatively safe, they still occasionally had problems defending set pieces and high balls.

Lịch thi đấu EURO 2024 hôm nay: Khi đối thủ của Anh không chỉ là Slovakia- Ảnh 2. — Slovakia pulled off one of the biggest surprises of EURO 2024 by beating Belgium 1-0.

Coach Southgate, do something!

England's opponents in this match are not only Slovakia but Southgate's over-cautiousness. He has always said that he has fielded the strongest team, but in reality, if that team is not bringing the necessary efficiency, in terms of chances created and goals scored, not to mention performance, then changes need to be made, not just leaving Alexander-Arnold out. People expect more adjustments, from the approach to the personnel, with the elements that are hungry to play Mainoo and Palmer given a chance to show. They are in good form and spirit, there is enthusiasm, and those called up, as well as many other players who are rarely used, do not want to be considered as reserve players in the literal sense of the word. Wait for Southgate and the adjustments, wait for England to come back strong, otherwise, there will be another shock.