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Scott Thornton is back with his England vs Slovakia prediction, team news, lineups and fixtures preview ahead of this round of 16 clash at Euro 2024.
England deserve their tournament favourites tag after being placed in what is widely regarded as the easiest half of the draw for the knockout stages. Fans are already plotting the Three Lions’ road to the final but they must go up a gear between now and then. They face a Slovakia side that earned four points in the group stages.
Our England vs Slovakia Prediction is for England to win 2-0.
- England vs Slovakia Tip 1: England -1/1.5 Asian Handicap
- England vs Slovakia Tip 2: Under 9 Corners In The Match
- England vs Slovakia Tip 3: Harry Kane To Score
Silvestre: England Should Progress but their Midfield Must Improve
England, lucky to have drawn Slovakia? Think it should be an easy win?
“It’s a good draw for England to have Slovakia. It’s a knockout game but you would expect England to progress.”
“They should try to gain momentum in this game and express themselves offensively the way we think they’re capable of and what they’ve shown in the past.”
“They’ve got to regain a certain swagger going forward. They also have to regain the togetherness as they’ve been a bit fragmented going forward.”
Should Southgate start Cole Palmer and maybe shift Bukayo Saka to left back?
“Bukayo Saka to left-back? No, no. Every time he’s in his own box, I’m worried. You don’t want forwards to defend in your own box.”
“It’s not the time to try another experiment. You need to put specialists in their positions, as much as possible.”
“Palmer for sure did well when he came on. He’s an asset and he probably could be starting.”
Declan Rice has struggled to replicate his club form at this tournament. Why do you think that is? Do you think he’ll do better with Kobbie Mainoo alongside him than Connor Gallagher?
“I think England’s entire midfield has been below par and it’s more of a collective issue.”
“I think Declan has done well, in my eyes. It’s more the team that’s not doing well so nobody can shine really.”
“It shows you how important it is to play as a team from the first to the last minute.”
England vs Slovakia – “England in normal time”
England vs Slovakia Prediction 1: An England Performance That’s Overdue
England, Euro 2024, Sunday, June 30th, 17:00 (UK)
England’s performances in the group stages have left many supporters scratching their heads. Gareth Southgate has failed to come up with the right formula in the opening three matches but the draw for the knockout stages has got the England hopeful dreaming once again. This game against Slovakia is an opportunity for the Three Lions to put recent torrid performances behind them and make a statement.
There is no doubting England’s quality, especially in the final third. The front four that started their final group game against Slovenia combined for 90 league goals last season. Anthony Gordon also made a positive impact from the bench so it’ll be interesting to see who features here. The competition for places will hopefully fuel an overdue emphatic attacking display.
The Three Lions scored an average of 2.75 goals per game during qualifying, only three sides scored more. The manager and the squad seem unwilling to get bogged down by the criticism from the media and the supporters so backing them to silence those critics and win this game by at least two goals looks a good bet.
- England vs Slovakia Prediction 1: England -1.25 Asian Handicap (TRACKED BET)
- Best Odds: 2.01
- Bookmaker: bet365
- Stake: 8/10
England vs Slovakia Prediction 2: Corners Are Scarce in England Matches
Slovakia’s win over Belgium in the opening game of the tournament put them in good stead to qualify for the round of 16. They managed to have success on the counter in that clash and contributed by winning seven of the twelve corners. However, since then, corner numbers have dwindled. Their matches against Ukraine and Romania saw eight and six corners respectively.
For those who have tuned in to England’s tired displays, it’ll be no surprise to hear that their matches have seen the fewest corners at Euro 2024 with an average of five per game. Southgate’s men have held onto the ball for long periods without posing a massive threat. The Three Lions have averaged 58% possession in the tournament thus far but have the third-lowest xG with 0.73 per game. While we should expect an improved performance here, the corner line set by the bookmakers looks high.
Gareth Southgate’s side’s matches also saw very few matches in qualifying. England won five of their eight matches but there were just 6.38 corners per game on average. nly Andorra’s matches saw fewer.
- England vs Slovakia Prediction 2: Under 9 Corners In The Match (TRACKED BET)
- Best Odds: 2.00
- Bookmaker: bet365
- Stake: 8/10
England vs Slovakia Prediction 3: Kane to Hit His Stride
Harry Kane grabbed one of the two England goals in the group stages. He was criticised for his lack of movement after a couple of below-par displays but there is no doubting his quality. The striker had five shots in the 0-0 draw against Slovenia as he played the full 90 minutes. He finished the game with an xG of 0.57. Kane was able to outperform his xG for Bayern Munich last season and England need him to rediscover that sort of form if they are to go on and win the tournament.
Kane’s inaugural season at Bayern Munich may not have ended with silverware but the England captain delivered on his half of the bargain. He scored 36 goals as Bayern missed out on the Bundesliga title. Harry also scored eight goals in the team’s run to the Champions League semi-finals.
The former Tottenham striker has scored 64 goals in 93 appearances for England. He netted four times as England reached the final in Euro 2021 and will be looking to add to his tally for this year’s tournament against Slovakia.
England vs Slovakia Prediction odds via bet365 as at 0:12, June 28th, 2024. Odds may now differ.
England vs Slovakia Euro 2024 Team News and Possible Lineups: Mainoo to Get the Nod
Slovakia were robust in the group changes and we should see the same eleven that drew with Romania take to the field here. Stanislav Lobotka has been key in the middle of the park. Milan Skrinriar, who plays for PSG, should have a bust afternoon in the heart of defence.
Kobbie Mainoo looked sharp when he replaced Conor Gallagher against Slovenia so the Manchester United midfielder is expected to be given his first start of the tournament here. Phil Foden had to temporarily leave the England camp to tend to a family matter so Gareth Southgate could opt to start Anthony Gordon or Cole Palmer on the left. Luke Shaw is also available for this clash.
England possible starting lineup:
Pickford; Walker, Stones, Guehi, Shaw; Mainoo, Rice, Bellingham: Saka, Gordon, Kane
Slovakia possible starting lineup:
Dubravka; Pekarik, Vavro, Skriniar, Hancko; Kucka, Lobotka, Duda; Schranz, Haraslin, Strelec
Euro 2024 Match Stats: Unbeaten England Have Pedigree in Competitive Matches
- England’s last defeat in a competitive match was against France in the quarter-finals of the last World Cup.
- In the 11 competitive matches since that loss, England have scored an average of 2.18 goals per game.
- Slovakia last faced England in World Cup qualifying in 2017, they lost 2-1.
- The Slovakians have lost just two of their last 10 matches.
England Euro 2024 Fixtures: Expectant England Plotting a Course to the Final
- Vs Slovakia (N)
- Vs Switzerland/Italy (N)
Slovakia Euro 2024 Fixtures: Slovakia Need an Upset to Make it to the Last Eight
- Vs England (N)
- Vs Switzerland/Italy (N)
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