From the brink of the abyss, England finally overturned Slovakia to win 2-1 in extra time on Sunday in Gelsenkirchen in the last 16 of the Euro.
The ‘Three Lions’ will therefore face Switzerland in the quarterfinals on Saturday July 6 in Düsseldorf (6 p.m.).
England, and probably their coach Gareth Southgate, owe their salvation to one man: Jude Bellingham. The number 10 stepped up to the plate at the end of added time (95th minute) of this round of 16 match, as he has done many times this season with Real Madrid, by pulling off a classy overhead kick to force extra time.
That was all it took to free up an English team that had started the game in the same vein as its disappointing performances in the group stage. After a good quarter of an hour, three English players had already been shown a yellow card, caught out by the Slovakian counter-attacks.
Among them Marc Guéhi, warned in the 3rd minute and who will be suspended against Switzerland, was well borrowed when Slovakia opened the almost inevitable score. Restrained by the possibility of an expulsion, he let Ivan Schranz adjust Jordan Pickford with the tip of his foot (25th).
A shock to come
A small goal which was almost enough for the Slovaks to create an immense feat, because neither Phil Foden (goal canceled in the 50th) nor Declan Rice (post in the 81st) managed to make Francesco Calzona’s men bend, reclusive in their camp in the second period.
But now, after Bellingham’s miraculous gesture, Harry Kane in turn came out of his lair at the best of times, less than sixty seconds after the start of extra time. As a surface fox, he headed a deflected ball into the back of Dubravka’s net to send the Three Lions into the quarter in Düsseldorf, where Murat Yakin’s men will be waiting for them.
/ATS
