- England set the tone for 90 minutes, but did not create a single good scoring opportunity and remained goalless.
- The Three Lions celebrated once – but the goal, which was actually beautifully played, was disallowed due to an offside position in the build-up.
- The only good move for Slovenia comes from Benjamin Sesko at the beginning, but he heads the ball harmlessly towards the goal.
- Because nothing happened in the parallel game, both teams are in the knockout phase. England as group winners, Slovenia as group third because they have more points than Croatia and a better goal difference than Hungary.
The Slovenians would also have been a potential opponent for the Germans, but in a close race with Denmark they only managed third place. However, Slovenia has reached the round of 16.
England captain Kane had called for more unity in the run-up to the match. While he did not take the sometimes harsh criticism from home to heart, he said it was not beneficial to the team’s performance either.
The Bayern star’s words did not have a signaling effect. The English tried hard, but the offensive, which was nominally outstanding with Kane, Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka, did not get going.
Despite the team’s unconvincing performances so far, team manager Gareth Southgate had refrained from making many substitutions. He only brought on Conor Gallagher for Trent Alexander-Arnold. But even with the Chelsea FC professional in the center of midfield alongside Declan Rice, there was a lack of pace and creativity. The Slovenian defense had little trouble with the English team’s unimaginative attacks.
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Only once did the Slovenians not keep up: Rice played to Foden, whose pass Saka pushed over the line from a few meters (20th) – but Foden was offside when the goal was scored. A little later, the 24-year-old tried a direct free kick, but Jan Oblak parried confidently.
The Slovenians also dared to push forward now and again, and a header from Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko (5th) was the first cause for excitement right at the start of the game. Otherwise, the underdog limited itself to defense and counterattacks. That was enough to take the fun out of the game for the English.
Rice, Bellingham and co. passed the ball around comfortably, and captain Kane, like in the last two games, had hardly any notable actions. And Bellingham often moved to the left side, but was then missing in the center. The 0:0 score at half-time, which the English fans whistled in disappointment, was the logical consequence.
Anyone who expected a reaction from England after the break was initially disappointed. Although the action took place almost exclusively in the Slovenian half, there were no chances to score.
Southgate brought on shooting star Cole Palmer in the 70th minute, who was greeted with loud cheers by the English fans. The Chelsea winger was supposed to provide more momentum on the right flank.