Our prediction for this Euro 2024 match:
England
Match Time & Date:
30/06/2024
18:00
Prediction: 2-0
Slovakia
Following an embarrassing goalless draw with Slovenia in their last group game, England will look to give fans some cheer when they face Slovakia in the last 16. The Three Lions need to improve their game if they are to win their first ever European Championship trophy and they are surely capable of beating the Slovaks at Veltins Arena. Liverpool man Trent Alexander-Arnold is widely expected to replace Conor Gallagher in the starting XI, while there are no fresh injury worries in Gareth Southgate’s team.
The nominal visitors, on the other hand, booked their place in the EURO 2024 knockout stages thanks to a 1-1 draw with Romania. England, though, do not suit Slovakia and that is the main reason why home win should be considered. It has to be noted that England have defeated Slovakia in four of their last five meetings in all competitions. Francesco Calzona is unlikely to make changes to the team that shared the spoils with the Tricolorii.
Highlighted Player (Harry Kane):
Widely regarded as one of England’s best strikers at the moment, Harry Kane enjoyed a meteoric rise at Tottenham Hotspur, scoring 21 Premier League goals during the 2014/2015 campaign to be voted PFA Young Player of the Year.
The highly rated striker went on to surpass that achievement the following season as he helped Tottenham Hotspur mount a serious title challenge for the first time in club’s recent history and he made seamless transition to international football. Kane scored four goals in his first ten appearances for England to prove he was here to stay and at the same time established himself as a first choice striker in Roy Hodgson’s squad ahead of the Euro 2016 finals.
Kane is a modern striker, who is extremely dangerous in the opposition box, but it was some outstanding goals from distance as well as link-up play with teammates that earned him an excellent reputation in world football. Kane is expected to lead both Tottenham and England in years to come, that is if he can resist the lure of top European clubs that continue to cast admiring glances his way.
Highlighted Team (Slovakia):
Slovakia only appeared on the international stage in 1993 as Czechoslovakia fell apart, and the new national team have yet to record a result worth mention. Repre have only qualified for two major tournaments so far, the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2016, but the current generation definitely seem capable of improving the team’s profile in years to come.
Slovakia currently have quite a few players plying their trade in some of Europe’s top sides, with Marek Hamsik, Martin Skrtel and Juraj Kucka clearly the leaders of the national team at the moment, but they do struggle in some areas and are not exactly world beaters just yet. Under Vladimir Weiss and Jan Kozak, Slovakia have become a tough not to crack, relying on rock-solid back line and swift counter-attacks, and they even gave Spain a tough time during the Euro 2016 qualifiers.
Miroslav Karhan and Robert Vittek are the most capped player and top goalscorer respectively, with Robert Vittek another player worth the mention.
Man City 
Nottingham Forest 
Athletic Bilbao 
Real Madrid 
Arsenal 
Manchester United 
Aston Villa
Brentford 
Fulham 
Brighton
Lazio
Napoli
