Within a minute, Euro-2024 lost another of its contenders on Sunday, but England snatched their ticket to the quarter-finals by defeating Slovakia (2-1 after extra time), while waiting for the attractive Spain opposed in the evening to another Tom Thumb without complex, Georgia.
It took a return as desperate as it was acrobatic from Jude Belligham, until then clumsy like the rest of his teammates, at the start of the last minute of added time for the « Three Lions »trailing since the 25th minute, equalize and stay in the race.
And from the start of extra time, Harry Kane knocked out the courageous and eye-catching Slovaks with a header (91st).
England, 2021 European vice-champion, can continue to dream of their first major title since 1966, but how difficult this qualification was to achieve!
English captain Harry Kane scores the winning goal against Slovakia (2-1) on June 30, 2024 in Gelsenkirchen / KENZO TRIBOUILLARD / AFP
After a laborious first round, the highly criticized English coach Gareth Southgate decided to launch the electric Kobbie Mainoo.
But the 19-year-old attacking midfielder, like the more experienced Bellingham, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka and Kane, credited with a total of 114 goals this season at clubs, have long come up against the compact Slovakian block.
England-Switzerland in the quarter
England monopolized possession but their attacks lacked fire for a long time.
On one of his rare forays into the English box in the 25th minute, Ivan Schranz had scored what could have been the most important goal in the history of Slovakian football, before the English surge.
England, 2021 European vice-champion and 4th in the 2018 World Cup, will face Switzerland on July 6 in Dusseldorf, which gave a lesson in realism to Italy on Saturday (2-0).
Unsurprisingly, the defeat of the reigning European champions is a national drama in Italy, as shown by the headlines in the Sunday press which refer to ” a shame “, ” a desaster “, “a bankruptcy”.
Italian coach Luciano Spalletti, confirmed in his role despite his team’s elimination in the round of 16, during a press conference on June 30, 2024 in Iserlohn / Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP
Despite this elimination which comes after failures to qualify for the last two editions of the World Cup (2018, 2022), the president of the Italian Federation Gabriele Gravina confirmed coach Luciano Spalletti in his position on Sunday.
“This match (lost against Switzerland 2-0) brought us back to zero, we start from there, I will continue to rejuvenate our group”however, warned Spalletti.
England’s difficulties and Italy’s setbacks should prompt Spain to be extremely cautious before its round of 16 match against Georgia this Sunday (9:00 p.m.) in Cologne, where it is the overwhelming favourite.
“We have no doubts”
The gap between the two selections is abysmal: the three-time Spanish European champions are the only ones to have finished the group stage with the maximum nine points, thanks in particular to their prodigy and uninhibited wingers, Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams.
But Georgia, 74th in the world rankings, surprised everyone for its first participation in a major tournament, thanks to its goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, its center forward Georges Mikautadze and star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
On the eve of their reunion with their best Belgian enemies, the Blues have travelled to Düsseldorf where they will play their round of 16 match on Monday (6 p.m.).
“We have no doubts but we will have to capitalize on the opportunities”assured captain Kylian Mbappé in reference to a laborious first phase during which his team only scored two goals, one against their own side by an Austrian defender and the other on a penalty against Poland.
“We are not favourites”acknowledged Belgium coach Domenico Tedesco, who will be without his defender Thomas Meunier, who has a thigh injury.
But as England and Italy have observed, the status of favorite gives no guarantee in this Euro which is shaking up the continental hierarchy.
