Focus Fixture: Will the Three Lions roar against Slovakia?

England take on Slovakia as they hope to keep their hopes of winning their first major trophy since 1966. 

The Form

England managed to top the group but that only tells half of the story. The Three Lions remain the favourites to go on and win Euro 2024 but they have only managed to score twice in their opening three matches. 

There was a palpable sense of outrage following the draw with Slovenia. Many England supporters voiced their dissatisfaction as Gareth Southgate and his players embarked on their lap of honour after they emerged from the group unscathed. 

While performances to this point have left a lot to be desired, that will long be forgotten should England manage to go all the way. Topping Group C has seen them drawn in the more favourable half of the knockout stages. They won’t have to face the likes of France, Germany, Spain or Portugal until the final. Nevertheless, England could face Italy, the team that beat them in the final of Euro 2020, in the next round. Southgate will be keen for his side to put on a more convincing display ahead of that potential clash. 

Slovakia’s only win in the group stages came against Belgium. They had to dig deep in that opening game but they held on for the victory that ultimately saw them earn a place in the last 16. They went on to secure four points, the same as the other three sides in the group but they clinched third place and qualification ahead of Ukraine. 

England took on Slovakia at Euro 2016. The underdogs faced 29 shots and kept just 39% possession on that occasion but came away with a point. There can be no share of the spoils this time around. 

The Runners and Riders

Gareth Southgate is likely to make some changes for this after yet another underwhelming display. It is rumoured that Kobbie Mainoo will be handed a start after impressing the manager when he came off the bench against Slovenia. Anthony Gordon could also come into the starting eleven with Phil Foden missing a few days of training to return home. 

Slovakia have a couple of standout players. Stanislav Lobotka has been key in midfield while Milan Skrinriar has a wealth of experience at the heart of the defence.

What They Said

Gareth Southgate questioned the behaviour of the fans following their last group game. He said “The most important thing is we stay with the team. I understand the narrative towards me. That’s better for the team than it being towards them but it is creating an unusual environment to operate in. I’ve not seen any other team qualify and receive similar.”

Francesco Calzona is keen for his side’s journey in the competition to continue. The former Napoli boss said, "Any opponent we face now will be difficult. We have reached the round of 16 and we want to get to the quarterfinals for our fans"

Selection

Our single bet tip for this match is for David Hancko to commit at least one foul in the match. He faces an England side that have forced an average of 13.67 fouls per game at the tournament. That’s well above the average of 11.24 fouls per team and only France and Italy have forced more.

Hancko is set to start at left-back in a back four. This will likely mean he squares off against Bukayo Saka throughout the game. The Arsenal man has the pace to trouble any defender and ranked amongst Europe's most creative players last season. His combined xG and xAG (assisted goals) ranked him in the top 10% when compared with all other wingers and attacking midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues. 

Erik Janza, the left-back for Slovenia, the only team that have played with a back four against England at the tournament so far, made two fouls and was booked. 

David Hancko has made a foul in Slovakia’s last two matches and looks a good price for one here. 

Recommended Bet: Over 0.5 Fouls For David Hancko at 1.93

Bet Builder Tip

For our bet builder tip, we are adding Ondrej Duda to be carded to our earlier selection. 

Ondrej Duda has taken on the role of the enforcer in the Slovakian midfield. He has made seven fouls in the tournament so far and has been carded once. That solitary card was picked up in their last game against Romania but Duda was also fortunate to avoid a booking against Belgium. He made three fouls in that fixture and looks set to make a few here.

The Three Lions forced plenty of fouls in the middle of the park during their first three matches. All four of the centre-midfielders who started those games for the opposition made at least one foul. The Slovenia match was a more tame affair but England should respond here.

Duda averaged two fouls per 90 minutes played in Serie A last season on his way to picking up four yellow cards. He will likely have to deal with Mainoo’s marauding runs from deep here so Ondrej is our pick for a card. 

Recommended Bet: Over 0.5 Fouls For David Hancko and Ondrej Duda to be carded at 5.40