England face Slovenia in their final group game, looking to pick up a favourable result and book their place in the round of 16.
Although England are currently on top of Group C, they could drop down to third place depending on the result in the game between Denmark and Serbia, if they lose to Slovenia. Gareth Southgate’s men cannot afford to be complacent here, and they will need to grind out a win.
The fans will be expecting a strong performance from the players after a disappointing draw against Denmark on Thursday. England were the favourites heading into the game and they should have picked up all three points.
it will be interesting to see if they can produce a quality performance here. Meanwhile, Slovenia are third in the standings with two points from two matches. They will hope that Denmark drops points against Serbia in the other game and they will need to grind out result against England here.
Team News & Tactics
England
The Three Lions do not have any major injury problems heading into this game, and Gareth Southgate should be able to field a full-strength eleven. There is some good news as well, with Luke Shaw resuming training.
England will shape up in a 4-3-3 formation against Slovenia, with Jordan Pickford in goal. Kyle Walker and Joe Gomez will be deployed as the full-backs. They will look to keep things compact defensively and help out in the attack as well. John Stones will start alongside Marc Guehi at the heart of the defence.
Declan Rice will feature as the defensive midfielder here, and he will look to anchor the midfield. He will look to protect the central defenders and break down opposition attacks. The likes of Jude Bellingham and Conor Gallagher will add creativity, control and drive to the side. Harry Kane will lead the line for England, with Bukayo Saka on the right and Anthony Gordon on the left.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Pickford; Walker, Stones, Guehi, Gomez; Bellingham, Rice, Gallagher; Saka, Kane, Gordon
Slovenia
Matjaz Kek does not have any major injury problems heading into this contest either. Slovenia are likely to shape up in a 4-4-2 formation against England, with Jan Oblak starting in goal.
Zan Karnicnik and Erik Janza will start as the full-backs here, and they will look to protect the side defensively and help out during counter-attacking situations. Vanja Drkusic will start alongside Jaka Bijol in the central defensive pairing.
Adam Cerin and Timi Elsnik will start in central midfield. They will look to keep things compact defensively and create goalscoring opportunities from the middle of the park as well. Petar Stojanovic and Jan Mlakar will start in the wide areas. They will look to add pace and flair to the side. Benjamin Sesko will lead the line for Slovenia alongside Andraz Sporar.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Oblak; Karnicnik, Drkusic, Bijol, Janza; Mlakar, Elsnik, Cerin, Stojanovic; Sporar, Sesko
Key Stats
- England have won five of their last six matches against Slovenia in all competitions.
- Slovenia are unbeaten in their last eight matches in all competitions.
- Slovenia have never won a game in the UEFA European Championships.
- Slovenia have never defeated an European opponent in a major tournament.
Player to Watch
Harry Kane
The England international striker has not been at his best in the European Championships so far but he is one of the best players in the world, and England need him to step up and deliver. They have missed his clinical presence up front. Kane will be desperate to bounce back strongly and help his side progress through to the knockout rounds of the competition with a win here.
He has the ability to change the game in the final third with his goalscoring ability and link up play. The Bayern Munich striker is our key player to watch out for. The veteran striker had an impressive club campaign, and he will look to get back to his best here.
Prediction
England 2-0 Slovenia
England are the better team on paper, and they will be hurting after the disappointing draw against Denmark. The players will look to produce a strong performance here, and this is a golden opportunity for them to bounce back.
Slovenia will look to keep their qualification hopes alive with a positive result here as well but the gulf in class between the two teams should see England rise to the top. A comfortable 2-0 win is on the cards for the Three Lions.
