England avoided an embarrassing exit from Euro 2024 by overcoming Slovakia 2-1 in extra time on Sunday. The victory, secured in Gelsenkirchen, was a suspense-filled journey that saw England come from behind to advance to the quarterfinals.
Slovakia took an early lead with Ivan Schranz’s goal in the 25th minute, leaving England on the brink of elimination akin to their Euro 2016 exit against Iceland. A disallowed Phil Foden equalizer further heightened the tension, pushing England to the edge.
However, Jude Bellingham became the hero in stoppage time, executing a stunning overhead kick that turned home Marc Guehi’s flick-on from a throw-in. This last-gasp goal kept England alive, sending the match into extra time.
In the extra period, substitute Ivan Toney sealed the win by heading in Harry Kane’s shot, marking Kane’s second goal of the tournament.
The comeback victory sets up a thrilling quarterfinal clash against Switzerland scheduled for Saturday in DĂĽsseldorf.
Harry Kane shared his elation, stating, \"That's the desire and the attitude from the boys. It looked tough for a second there, but you keep going. Jude does what Jude does and what an unbelievable goal.\"
Gareth Southgate echoed the sentiment, saying, \"We want to be better. I'm not going to hide from that, but the spirit and character was there for everybody to see and we're still in there fighting.\"
Despite the loss, Slovakia’s coach Francesco Calzona expressed pride in his team's performance. \"My team showed a lot out there. They were great, gave away very little and came close to going through. And in extra time we were in their half for long periods, I'm very proud,\" Calzona stated.
Reference(s):
England avoid shock at Euro 2024 as Spain ease into quarterfinals
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