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From the brink of one of their worst defeats in years, England somehow beat Slovakia to reach the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 on Sunday – thanks to dramatic goals from Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane.
England looked destined for a dismal last-16 defeat in Gelsenkirchen, having fallen behind to a first-half goal from Ivan Schranz.
And Gareth Southgate’s side looked desperately short of solutions as a humiliating loss beckoned, only for Bellingham to score a bicycle kick in the 96th minute, forcing extra time.
And just one minute into the extra 30, Harry Kane nodded home from close range to give England the lead at last, sealing their place in the quarter-finals – where Switzerland await.
But how did each player perform? Here are The Independent’s player ratings:
ENGLAND (4-2-3-1)
Jordan Pickford – 6: Short and long-range distribution was accurate. Could do nothing about Slovakia’s goal.
Kyle Walker – 3: Overcommitted in pressing forward more than once, leaving England exposed and in danger. Even his pace could not save him, this time.
John Stones – 3: Still doesn’t convince as the senior member of England’s central defence; when the team endured their nervier moments, Stones was far from assured. He also got a header wrong as Slovakia closed in on goal and took the lead. In the second half, he was wiping his face with his shirt as a short pass rolled beyond him and to Strelec, whose long-range shot almost beat Pickford for 2-0. That would have gone down as an all-time great England mistake.
Marc Guehi – 5: Booked inside three minutes, ruling him out of England’s quarter-final, though Trippier deserves some blame for that one (see below). Lack of positional discipline led to Slovakia’s goal – perhaps a lack of experience, too. However, he headed the ball to Bellingham for England’s dramatic equaliser.
Kieran Trippier – 4: Put Guehi under unnecessary pressure in the first few moments, as the centre-back went on to commit a foul and pick up a booking. Also unnecessarily rushed a shot in a good position while in plenty of space, ballooning it over the bar. Was denied an assist when Foden found the net but strayed offside. Picked up a knock and made way on 65 minutes.
Declan Rice – 5: Tried more than once to play the decisive pass, clipping balls over the Slovakia defence, but always struggled to pick out his man. Did win the ball in handy positions, now and then. Hit the post with a long-range shot in the final 10 minutes.
Kobbie Mainoo – 7: His positivity and deft touches on the ball were refreshing in the middle for England. One volley on goal wasn’t too far off target, and the ambition drew cheers from England fans. Was replaced by Eze with fewer than 10 minutes remaining.
Jude Bellingham – 8: Doubled his rating with one of the all-time iconic England goals. Started in more lively fashion than in recent games, but his end product was still nowhere to be seen at first. Actually got worse as the game progressed, until that overhead kick in the 96th minute, which will be shown in highlights packages for decades. Saved England. As he shouted afterwards: “Who else?”
Bukayo Saka – 6: While not the most effective here, the Arsenal man was always positive and got on with the job when moved from right wing to left-back. If only more of his teammates could match his approach.
Phil Foden – 4: Anonymous for much of the game, and when he did make himself known, his ideas were bright but his execution was poor. Scored a tap-in early in the second half but had veered offside, ruling out the goal. Deliveries from free-kicks were of mixed quality. Foden has been inconsistent at Euro 2024, and even considering his better moments, one could not say for sure that he works in this team. Made way for Toney in the final few minutes.
Harry Kane – 7: Like Bellingham, boosted his rating significantly in one key moment. Didn’t get a sniff until after the 20-minute mark, and his passing accuracy was lacking when he dropped deep. Improved slightly in the second half, picking out Trippier with a brilliant ball – in the lead-up to England’s disallowed goal – and connecting his teammates around the opposition box. Missed a great chance to score a header from a free-kick, missed a rebound after Rice hit the post, and yet... Kept plugging away and was rewarded with his headed goal in extra time.
Substitutes:
Cole Palmer – 7: Replaced Trippier on 65 minutes. Immediately injected the kind of directness and adventure that he brought off the bench against Slovenia. It was obvious that he should have started this game. Must start the next one.
Eberechi Eze – 6: Came on for Mainoo in the final 10 minutes and, like Palmer, was very positive.
Ivan Toney – 7: Replaced Foden in added time, seemingly too late to make a difference... only to assist Kane with a clever header in extra time.
Conor Gallagher – 6: Brought on for Kane in the second half of extra time, as Southgate sought to get England over the line. Harrassed the Slovakia defenders eagerly.
Ezri Konsa – 6: Replaced Bellingham, as England went more defensive in the final 15 minutes.
SLOVAKIA (4-3-3)
Martin Dubravka – 6
Peter Pekarik – 4
Denis Vavro – 5
Milan Skriniar – 4
David Hancko – 6
Juraj Kucka – 5
Stanislav Lobotka – 5
Ondrej Duda – 6
Ivan Schranz – 7
David Strelec – 8
Lukas Haraslin – 7
Substitutes:
Tomas Suslov – 5
Robert Bozenik – 5
Laszlo Benes – 5
Matus Bero – 5
Norbert Gyomber – 4
Ľubomir Tupta – N/A
