On June 30, the EURO 2024 Round of 16 match between England and Slovakia will take place. England is the clear favorite. But is it really so?! In the first round of the European Championship, Gareth Southgate's team barely managed to beat Serbia in an ultra-dull match (1:0). The match set an anti-record for the number of shots on goal in EURO history – only 11 combined (statistics have been kept since 1980).
England's second match in the tournament was not more sparkling – the same sluggish dynamics and a predictable low score (1:1 with Denmark). The final match of the group stage was the tasteless cherry on the unpalatable cake of Southgate's dull and pragmatic performance – a goalless draw with Slovenia.
Slovakia started their European Championship campaign with a sensational victory over Belgium (1:0). It should be noted that Francesco Calzona's team hardly deserved the maximum result – just remember the two disallowed Belgian goals after VAR review and several other missed opportunities.
In the second round, against Ukraine, Slovakia again took the lead, but this time they failed to hold on not only to the victory but even to a draw (1:2). Once again, it should be emphasized that Calzona's team looked worse than their opponent and deservedly lost points. In the final group stage match, Slovakia played out a convenient draw with Romania (1:1) and secured a place in the playoffs.
It is worth noting that the draw in the last match was Slovakia's first in their last 12 official encounters.
In summary, focusing on the previous performances of England and Slovakia, the favorite for the match is undoubtedly the England team. However, this tournament continues to surprise.
- England win (1): 1.41
- Draw (X): 4.40
- Slovakia win (2): 9.20