England reached the quarter-finals of UEFA EURO 2024 thanks to Harry Kane’s extra-time header, Jude Bellingham having denied Slovakia with a stunning equaliser deep into added time.
Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane celebrate England’s first goal
England snatched a place in the quarter-finals at UEFA EURO 2024 with a dramatic win against Slovakia, who had looked destined for victory only for Jude Bellingham to level deep into added time with a spectacular overhead kick before Harry Kane headed an extra-time winner in Gelsenkirchen.
Key moments
4′: Strelec fires across face of England goal
12′: Haraslín shot blocked by Guéhi
25′: Schranz slots in Strelec pass
55′: Strelec shoots just wide from halfway line
78′: Kane nods Foden free-kick past post
81′: Rice thumps shot against upright
90+5′: Bellingham levels with stunning overhead kick
91′: Kane heads in after Toney keeps ball alive
105′: Pekarík fires over from close range
Match in brief: England edge through at the last
Jude Bellingham’s last-gasp overhead kick levels for England
Both teams stayed with the formula they had favoured during the group stage, Kobbie Mainoo coming into England’s midfield in the only change for either side. It was Slovakia who settled first, however, David Strelec turning an early free-kick wide before Dávid Hancko pulled a cross-shot just past the far post having been played in down the left.
Lukáš Haraslín was the next to threaten, again down Slovakia’s left, only a superb sliding block from Marc Guéhi – whose early booking rules him out of the quarter-final – stopping his shot before England scrambled away. Francesco Calzona’s team were finding a way through the England back line with regularity and the breakthrough duly arrived in the 25th minute, Strelec threading a pass through for Schranz to hold off Guéhi and slot his third goal of the finals past Jordan Pickford.
England emerged for the second half with renewed energy, Phil Foden quickly having an effort ruled out for offside and a Kane attempt deflecting wide. With Calzona urging Slovakia forward, Strelec sent a first-time strike from the halfway line a metre past the post with Pickford scrambling, but in the main the traffic was flowing in the opposite direction.
Gareth Southgate introduced Cole Palmer in a bid to give England’s attack more urgency yet England continued to struggle to make inroads although Kane passed up a golden chance when he nodded Foden’s free-kick wide when unmarked.
With time ticking away Declan Rice tried his luck from range, the ball cannoning back off the upright with Martin Dúbravka beaten, and that was the cue for England’s late rally. Just as it looked as if they would come up short, Bellingham met Guéhi’s flick with a remarkable overhead kick to send the tie to extra time.
Less than 60 seconds into the additional period England were in front, Kane pouncing to nod in from close range after Ivan Toney had headed the ball into the goalmouth. Slovakia were visibly distraught but raised themselves and might have equalised just before half-time in extra time, Peter Pekarík firing over from close range, but that was as near as they got as England edged through.
Vivo Player of the Match: Jude Bellingham (England)
For his overall contribution and the goal that kept his team in the tournament. Strong leadership to keep his team believing.
Joe Terry, England reporter
That win defies tactical analysis, really. Gareth Southgate’s men looked well beaten by a spirited and disciplined Slovakia. However, England’s place in the quarter-finals can be explained by the indomitable will not to lose of Jude Bellingham, who came up trumps at quite literally the last available moment, and the similar one-track winning mindset of Harry Kane.
Ratislav Hribik, Slovakia reporter
Slovakia showed England respect but were not overawed; on the contrary, they were combative and collectively excellent from first minute to last. Schranz’s third goal of the tournament had them dreaming of the quarter-finals until they were denied by Bellingham in the last minute of added time. Before they could recover Kane had ended the dream, even though they kept looking for a way back throughout extra time. Slovakia are eliminated but they achieved much more than they might have expected. Respect to them.
Reaction
Jude Bellingham, Vivo Player of the Match: “You’re 30 seconds going from home, feeling like you’ve le your nation down, and one kick of the ball and everything’s great. It’s 20 or 30 seconds until we’re out of the European Championship and the mood now is a massive difference, and what it can do for the team going forward. It’s a massive moment but it’s a long tournament and we’ll only decide in the next two weeks how important it is.”
Harry Kane, England captain: “When it is that late in the game and 1-0 down in knockout football you need to find a way to claw yourself out of the hole you were in. That’s right up there. To score that type of goal in that moment to keep our dreams alive is one of the best. [Jude Bellingham] What a player. To score that type of goal in that moment just shows the type of person he is. It is not easy to get through in any stage and to get to a quarter-final is very pleasing. Hopefully we can use the momentum and take it forward now.”
Francesco Calzona, Slovakia coach: “I feel more pride than disappointment, because we played a great match against a top team who are among the favourites to win. We were on a par with them, we gave away very little but unfortunately in the end it went the way it did. In extra time, we were in their half of the field for pretty much all of it. I’m proud that we forced them to defend, to bring on extra defenders to protect the result.”
Milan Škriniar, Slovakia captain: “It’s hard to find the words; we are all very sad. We were so close. England have quality, they pushed us and then all of a sudden came the Bellingham goal. It hurts that we conceded in the very last minute. We were maybe 30 seconds from victory. But I’m really proud of the whole team. It was an amazing ride.”
Harry Kane heads England in front a minute into extra time
Ivan Schranz wheels away after putting Slovakia in front
Key stats
- England have reached successive EURO quarter-finals for the first time.
- The Three Lions have extended their unbeaten EURO run to 11 matches (W7 D4).
- Seven of England’s last ten EURO knockout matches have gone to extra time.
- Bellingham’s goal was England’s latest EURO strike in normal time.
- Kane is the first player to score a knockout goal for England at more than one EURO.
- The England captain has seven goals in his last seven knockout matches at major tournaments.
- Kane has now made 79 competitive appearances for England, one more than Peter Shilton’s previous national record.
- This was only the third time in 34 EURO games that England had been behind at half-time.
- Aged 19 years 72 days, Mainoo is the youngest player to make his first EURO start for England in a knockout match.
- Schranz is now Slovakia’s top scorer at EURO final tournaments with three goals.
- Slovakia have scored in the first half of all four of their EURO 2024 games.
Line-ups
England: Pickford; Walker, Stones, Guéhi, Trippier (Palmer 66); Mainoo (Eze 84), Rice; Saka, Bellingham (Konsa 106), Foden (Toney 90+4); Kane (Gallagher 106)
Slovakia: Dúbravka; Pekarík (Tupta 109), Vavro, Škriniar, Hancko; Kucka (Bero 81), Lobotka, Duda (Bénes 81); Schranz (Gyömbér 90+3), Strelec (Boženík 61), Haraslín (Suslov 61)