Jude Bellingham’s equalizer in the final minutes of the match helped England escape death, thereby defeating Slovakia in extra time and registering their name in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024.

At the start of the match, both England and Slovakia showed their ambition to win when they both had dangerous attacks right in the first stage.

In the 5th minute, in an attack on the left wing, Hancko had a dangerous cross, but no Slovakian player could touch the ball.

After being somewhat outplayed in the first few minutes, England gradually regained control of the game, controlling most of the ball and creating a few dangerous opportunities from the two wings.

However, while still struggling to find the opening goal, the “Three Lions” received a cold shower when Slovakia organized a sharp combination in the middle, and striker Ivan Schranz had a shot that defeated Pickford and opened the score of the match.

Ivan Schranz unexpectedly opened the scoring for Slovakia. Photo: Getty

Conceding a painful goal, Southgate’s team pushed up the formation in search of an equalizer. Top strikers such as Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka and Harry Kane took turns threatening Slovakia’s goal, however, the attacks only stopped at the level of opportunities, and the first half ended with the Central European team taking the lead.

In the second half, Harry Kane and his teammates rose up strongly to drag the match into at least extra time.

Southgate’s men pushed high and got what they needed when Foden easily slotted the ball into an empty net after Trippier’s assist. However, the referee disallowed the goal because the Man City player had been in an offside position.

In the following minutes, the white-shirted strikers continued to attack in many different ways such as through the middle, through set pieces or through hanging balls. However, all of them could not be converted into goals.

It seemed that they would unexpectedly stop at the round of 16, but the England team was revived when Jude Bellingham had a beautiful “bicycle kick” in the last minute of injury time and brought the match into extra time.

Jude Bellingham brought a valuable equalizer for England. Photo: Getty

Continuing the momentum, Southgate’s team did not hesitate to push up their formation and took the lead after captain Harry Kane’s close-range header in the first minute of the first extra time.

Harry Kane helped England take the lead against Slovakia. Photo: Getty

Slovakia also had opportunities created, but the strikers on the attack line unfortunately missed them, and the first extra time ended with the advantage for the England team.

In the second extra time, the Three Lions actively retreated to preserve the score, and this made it difficult for Slovakia’s strikers to find an equalizer. The white players stood firm until the last minutes and won the match with a score of 2-1 after 120 minutes.

With a brilliant comeback against Slovakia in the round of 16 of Euro 2024, England will enter the quarter-finals and face Switzerland.