Bellingham’s superb goal saved England – made it 2-1 to Slovakia after extra time – Dagsavisen

Ivan Schranz looked set to seal the match with his third goal of the EC semi-finals, following a fine strike in the 25th minute. England had well over 70 per cent possession, but Slovakia used the ball better and were on their way to a deserved victory.

English journalists in Gelsenkirchen had probably already given the complete slaughter of the England team and demanded Southgate’s head on a plate, but in the 95th minute Kyle Walker took a long throw. Marc Guèhi poked the ball at the near post, and inside the middle Bellingham kicked it sharply into the goal to make it 1-1.

The day after his 21st birthday, the Real Madrid player responded to the many who criticized his performances in the EC, and the dream goal seemed to redeem something in the whole team.

53 seconds after a penalty in extra time, England were in charge. Three substitutes set up captain Kane for his main goal.

Cole Palmer took the free kick from the right. Martin Dúbravka put the ball in the box, but Eberechi Eze put it back into the box with an unsuccessful shot attempt. The ball reached the head of Ivan Toney, who nodded it to Kane.

It was all alone in the five meters and England pushed into the lead. There was no question of either, as two Slovakian defenders were on the line again.

The drama was not over, as in the 105th minute Slovakia right-back Peter Pekarik fired over from close range on a cross from László Bénes, but England will meet Switzerland in the quarter-finals in Düsseldorf on Saturday.

It will be Southgate’s 100th game as manager of the national team, a year he would hardly have been able to experience were it not for Bellingham’s superb work at the back.

A golden chance

England were disappointed in the group stage, but still finished as group winners with five out of six matches ending in draws. It put the teams into the other side of the cup tie from the teams who had made the biggest impact in the Quarter Finals, but the British were about to miss out on a golden opportunity.

Slovakia took the lead after a fine attack that exposed some of England’s problems. On Denis Vavro’s long play from his own half, John Stones and Guéhi tried to go into the same duel. Juraj Kucka beat Guéhi in the air and headed David Strelec, who had plenty of space. He waited for the run from Schranz, who got a perfect hook. With Guéhi a step behind him, he crashed into the box, tripped a bit on his foot, but scored safely in the corner.

Unlike England, there was good pace and movement whenever Slovakia had a chance to attack, which led to some good chances in front of goal as well.

At first the England players marked themselves out mainly with expressions of frustration, and three yellow cards in the first quarter of an hour. The first went to Guéhi in the 3rd minute and knocks one of the best players in the EC out of the quarter finals.

Even before the break, the English media started comparing the game to Iceland’s famous win in the EC round of 16 in 2016.

Sleep on the job

Ten minutes into the second half, failure was about to become complete for England with one of the most embarrassing goals of all time. Walker took a free kick to Stones, who didn’t follow, and Strelec was able to shoot from a few yards into the England half. Jordan Pickford charged towards his own goal and saw the ball roll just wide.

Before the equaliser, Declan Rice had England’s biggest chance when, in the 81st minute, he shot the post from distance. Kane’s scissors started the goal and goalkeeper Dúbravka was lying on the ground.

Earlier, Phil Foden was overzealous and ran over when Trippier was played on the edge in the 50th minute, only to have the goal canceled out into an empty net.

After a World Cup semi-final in Southgate’s first return (2018), a European Championship final in his second (2021), the arrows seemed to be pointing the wrong way again. There was a quarter-final defeat in the last World Cup, but England narrowly avoided victory in the round of 16 in Germany. Is there still hope that this year’s edition will end “58 years of hurt”?

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