The day after Switzerland eliminated reigning European champions Italy, England, who beat Slovakia in extra time (2-1), and Spain, who were ultimately too strong for Georgia (4-1), secured their places in the quarter-finals, but it was far from a formality.
It took a return as desperate as it was acrobatic from Jude Belligham, until then clumsy like the rest of his teammates, at the start of the last minute of added time for the “Three Lions”, trailing since the 25th minute, equalize.
And from the start of extra time, Harry Kane knocked out the courageous and eye-catching Slovaks with a header (91st).
England, runners-up to the 2021 European Championship, can continue to dream of their first major title since 1966, but “we know our level of play will have to be higher,” admitted their coach, Gareth Southgate.
After a laborious first round, Southgate, much criticized, decided to launch the electric Kobbie Mainoo.
But the 19-year-old attacking midfielder, like the more experienced Bellingham, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka and Kane, credited with a total of 114 goals this season at clubs, have long come up against the compact Slovakian block.
A Spain-Germany clash in the quarter
On one of his rare forays into the English area in the 25th minute, Ivan Schranz scored what could have been the most important goal in the history of Slovak football, before the English surge.
England, 4th in the 2018 World Cup, will face Switzerland on July 6 in Düsseldorf, who gave Italy a lesson in realism on Saturday (2-0).
In the other match of the day, in Cologne, Spain, which came out of the group stage with the maximum nine points, experienced its first difficulties.
Georgia, still as exciting for its first major tournament, played on par or even better with La Roja until the break.
The team led by Willy Sagnol took the lead when Robin Le Normand sent the ball into his own goal (18th) while trying to prevent Georgian striker Khvicha Kvaratskhelia from taking a cross.
After a quarter of an hour of doubt, Rodri tied the two teams (39th), before his team clearly took the upper hand in the second half in the pouring rain with goals from Fabian Ruiz (51st), Nico Williams (51st), 75th) and Dani Olmo (83rd).
Now it is Germany, the other exciting team in this tournament, who await Spain in the quarter-finals on Friday in Stuttgart for a quarter-final that looks like a final.
With Agencies
