England are finding it hard to break through Slovenia’s well-organised defence, led by outstanding goalkeeper Jan Oblak. Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden do create opportunities, yet Southgate’s team are lacking pace to take full advantage.
At half time, England supporters gave out some loud boos in response to seeing no improvement from their side. Mainoo and Cole Palmer failed to add much extra dimension.
In this article, we will discuss about the high lights of England National Football Team Vs Slovenia National Football Team Timeline.
England Starting XI:
| No. | Player | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jordan Pickford | Goalkeeper |
| 2 | Kyle Walker | Defender |
| 5 | John Stones | Defender |
| 6 | Marc Guéhi | Defender |
| 12 | Kieran Trippier | Defender |
| 16 | Conor Gallagher | Midfielder |
| 4 | Declan Rice | Midfielder |
| 10 | Jude Bellingham | Midfielder |
| 7 | Bukayo Saka | Forward |
| 11 | Phil Foden | Forward |
| 9 | Harry Kane (Captain) | Forward |
Slovenia Starting XI:
| No. | Player | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jan Oblak (Captain) | Goalkeeper |
| 2 | Žan Karničnik | Defender |
| 21 | Vanja Drkušić | Defender |
| 6 | Jaka Bijol | Defender |
| 13 | Erik Janža | Defender |
| 20 | Petar Stojanović | Midfielder |
| 22 | Adam Gnezda Čerin | Midfielder |
| 10 | Timi Max Elšnik | Midfielder |
| 17 | Jan Mlakar | Forward |
| 9 | Andraž Šporar | Forward |
| 11 | Benjamin Šeško | Forward |
England National Football Team
England will face a difficult test as they attempt to advance at Euro 2024 against Slovenia, who will be out to make an impression after drawing with Germany earlier in the tournament. Gareth Southgate must ensure his side are at their best if they are going to overcome Jan Oblak’s well-organized and determined defense and advance further than Germany did.
The Three Lions have made an unbeaten start to this tournament but have struggled to mount an attack against Slovenia despite winning both games so far. Their opponent are an organised unit who have held back, giving England possession before hitting them on the counterattack with some precision. Bukayo Saka had an offside goal disallowed early on while England have found it hard to establish their rhythm on this encounter.
England Team News: Southgate will field the same lineup that started against Germany, so Luke Shaw will return as centre-back alongside John Stones and Kieran Trippier and Jordan Henderson will play attacking roles along the flanks, while James Ward-Prowse and Conor Gallagher remain hidden away behind the team.
REPORTER SAYS:
England looked to press with urgency early, and Foden found himself in space during a run from Manchester City winger Foden. After taking a touch, Foden collided with Drkusic on the edge of the area before pulling him down in an attempted takedown but the referee disregarded any claims for a foul.
Foden finds himself behind and heads a dangerous ball across to Kane, who attempts to reach for it but only comes up just inches short of touching it.
Kane wins a free-kick on the left edge of the penalty area and his cross is deflected towards the back post by Mlakar’s head; but no one was available to tap home from there. After England recycled their possession, Foden and Bellingham attempted runs in behind but their passes were cut off before reaching goal.
SKOPJE TEAM NEWS: Host England are yet to score in this competition so far and seem likely to remain scoreless as they close out the first half at Cologne Arena. England have held 73.8 per cent possession so far but have failed to break through Slovenia’s defensive system and score.
BUILDING TO IT:
England began their first half on the offensive, sending long ball over from Trippier to Henderson who turned his marker before shooting an attempt just wide of the post. They continued pressing forward and Southgate’s men created another great chance when Foden and Kane linked up but were flagged for offside when entering the box.
England are back into action, looking to extend their dominant first-half performance against Slovenia in the second-half. They appear to be settling into an effective pattern of play which sees them dominate possession before searching for openings to score goals. A fantastic pass from Rice finds Foden behind his opponents but is flagged offside.