England will aim to overcome Slovakia in the round of 16 and reinstall confidence into the hearts and minds of fans.
After an underwhelming series of group stage performances in England’s first and hopefully not last knockout game, Gareth Southgate will hope that his side can show their quality against Slovakia.
Francesco Calzona’s team was a part of the thrilling Group E which saw all four teams finish on the same number of points. Their most impressive performance came in their first game in which they beat Belgium 1-0 and displayed their tough character and resilience.
Unlike the Three Lions, they scored in all their group games with Ivan Schranz as the top goalscorer in this tournament. They boast quality in the midfield through former Napoli star Marek Hamsik and current Napoli star Stanislav Lobotka. With the recent issues that England have had in the midfield, Slovakia’s talent in the middle of the park could prove a difficult challenge for Southgate.
Kieran Trippier is a doubt again to start tonight as he continues to nurse his injuries despite starting every game so far. According to Southgate, Luke Shaw should be fit enough to make the squad but not enough to start. There has been speculation that Esri Konsa could start at Left-Back instead of Joe Gomez, who has frequently stepped into that role at Liverpool last season.
The rest of the defence will most likely stay unchanged however, further changes could be made elsewhere. Connor Gallagher started against Slovenia, but his halftime substitution may suggest that Southgate has lost a little faith in Gallagher’s position in the starting XI. Kobbie Mainoo made a great impression after coming on for Gallagher against Slovenia and is most likely to partner with Declan Rice tonight.
Phil Foden briefly left the England Camp to be present for the birth of his child however he came back to camp in plenty of time for the match. I believe there will be a change in the front three with Foden or Bukayo Saka to be dropped for Cole Palmer. Palmer made an instant impact against Slovenia and fans after the game argued that he should be starting against Slovakia.
Of course, progression to the quarterfinals will be the top priority for Southgate and his team, especially with a bracket that seems favourable to the Three Lions. England must improve on their last three performances, however, as some backbone and risks need to be shown if England wants to win this competition.
Predicted Eng XI: Pickford, Konsa, Guehi, Stones, Walker, Mainoo, Rice, Bellingham, Foden, Palmer, Kane (C).
Predicted SVK XI: Dubravka, Hancko, Škriniar (C), Vavro, Pekarik, Kucka, Lobotka, Duda, Schranz, Haraslin, Bozenik.
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