England, who came very close to elimination, won in overtime (2-1) against Slovakia, who led the score until one minute from the end of regulation time, to advance to the quarterfinals of the Euro final, Sunday in Gelsenkirchen.
The “Three Lions”, who will face Switzerland in the next stage, were first stunned by a goal from Ivan Schranz (25th).
They were saved by a fantastic bicycle kick from Jude Bellingham in the final seconds of regulation time (90+5) before, during extra time, Harry Kane gave his colors victory with a header (91st) , his first in the competition.
Enough to save the English from a famous snub. But it was complicated for a team that came within a few seconds of an inglorious elimination the day after Italy, the title holders, went out against Switzerland.
Because Slovakia, initially a player, started without any complexes, creating opportunities through David Strelec (5th) and Lukas Haraslin (12th) before being logically rewarded by a goal from Ivan Schranz, his third of the competition (25th).
After a goal by Phil Foden was canceled for offside in the 50th minute, Kane, finally awake, missed the inevitable in the 77th minute when, superbly served by Foden, the Bayern scorer saw his header go wide of the goal defended by Martin Dubravka.
In the process, Declan Rice saw his shot from twenty meters crash into the opposing goal post.
While the Slovak wall, built around Milan Skriniar, refused to break, it was a stroke of genius that saved the British.
After a cross from Kyle Walker received by Mark Guéhi, Jude Belligham, 21 years old since Saturday, managed an improbable return, a masterpiece to put his team extremely narrowly back in the match.
A hard blow for the men of the Italian coach of Slovakia Francesco Calzona who definitively gave in in the first minute of extra time on Kane’s header which propelled England into the quarter-final, on July 6 in Düsseldorf, for challenge Switzerland there.
