Jude Bellingham’s dramatic stoppage-time equalizer propelled Slovakia into overtime and set the stage for Harry Kane's decisive header in England's 2-1 victory in the Euro 2024 Round of 16 clash at Gelsenkirchen’s Arena AufSchalke on Sunday.
Slovakia, known for their attacking prowess, caught England off guard with a strong start, coming close through David Hancko and Lukas Haraslin early on, although they couldn't convert their chances.
Their persistence paid off when David Strelec's excellent play set up Ivan Schranz to break the deadlock 25 minutes into the game, marking Schranz's third goal of the tournament.
Despite dominating possession with 77%, England struggled to capitalize in the first half.
The game shifted in the second half when Phil Foden's apparent equalizer was disallowed for offside just five minutes after the restart.
England narrowly escaped going further behind as Strelec missed a long-range effort just wide of the target soon after.
As the match wore on, England found it difficult to break down Slovakia's compact defense, although Declan Rice came close with a shot that struck the woodwork in the 81st minute, according to Xinhua.
Slovakia seemed poised to secure a historic win, but Jude Bellingham shattered their hopes with an incredible stoppage-time overhead kick into the top right corner, leveling the score and forcing extra time.
England capitalized on the momentum from Bellingham's heroics as Harry Kane headed in the winner early in extra time, notching his 65th goal for England and securing their spot in the quarterfinals against Switzerland.
Reflecting on the match, Bellingham acknowledged the significance of his goal, stating, “It is a massive moment, but it’s a long tournament and we will only know its importance if we go on to win the cup. We will assess its impact in the coming weeks.”
Meanwhile, Slovakia coach Francesco Calzona expressed pride in his team’s performance, saying, “I feel proud, we played a great game against a world-class team and one of the favorites. We allowed England very little, we almost advanced. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it.”
England will now prepare to face Switzerland in the quarterfinals in Dusseldorf on July 6, anticipating another tough encounter on their quest for European glory.
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