Final result: England 2-1 Slovakia (aet)
ENGLAND
Pickford 6 – He plays with his pinky bandaged for a blow in the warm-up. Not guilty of the goal, he almost gets fooled, he plays in midfield.
Walker 6 – It is immediately clear that it is not a great evening, when he is surprised from behind by Haraslin. He emerges with experience.
Stones 5,5 – Unrecognizable compared to the original City version, he passively observes Strelec, leaving him free to place the assist. He makes a lot of mistakes.
Guehi 6 – So far among the few positive notes of the German expedition, perhaps influenced by the yellow he is bullied by Schranz. He finds redemption with the assist for the equaliser.
Trippier 5.5 – The tactical misunderstanding continues, on the left he seems disoriented: when he is freed to shoot by Bellingham he doesn’t make a good impression. From 66′ Palmer 6,5 – The man invoked by half of England enters with the right attitude.
Mainoo 6 – Southgate tries him in the duo with Rice almost out of desperation, compared to those who preceded him at least he has more initiative. From 84′ Eze 6 – The equalizer was born from his misplaced shot.
Rice 6,5 – They change his third partner in four games, he remains the only certainty: he doesn’t lose his composure and makes the post tremble. He leads the recovery.
From 5.5 – In the absence of spaces to attack is practically zero, Hancko soon becomes an insurmountable obstacle. Generous interpretation as a full-back instead.
Bellingham 7,5 – He pulls his team down the steps of the return flight with a bicycle kick worthy of a true champion, almost an advert for the Ballon d’Or. He is the true savior of the country. From 106′ Konsa sv
Foot 5.5 – The bad photocopy of the talent admired with Guardiola, the position is only a small mitigating factor. He scores, but offside. From 90’+1 Toney 6,5 – Excellent impact, settles it for Kane.
Kane 7 – Served little and badly, penalized by the absence of a shred of play. Yet he manages to score the decisive goal, seventh in the last seven knockout games. From 106′ Gallagher sv
Gareth Southgate 6 – Bench 99 was seriously in danger of becoming the last, Bellingham and Kane saved it in extremis from the inevitable massacre it was heading towards. In the often labile border between skill and luck he gets the moves right on the fly.
SLOVAKIA
Dubravka 6 – Essential style, decisive in exits. He closes without any real saves, but exudes confidence. Helped by the post, he can do nothing about the English goals.
Baker 6 – He covers and starts again, as if time had suddenly stopped: the 14 year difference with Foden can only be seen on the documents. From 109′ Tupta sv
Vavro 6.5 – A distant relative of the uncertain defender seen in action in the unfortunate Lazio adventure, he gave the lead with his long ball.
Skriniar 6 – He looks like the one from his Inter days, he keeps good guard, always occupying the right position to repel frontal attacks.
Hancko 6,5 – At Feyenoord he plays as a centre-back, here he pushes on the wing without forgetting to control Saka, dominating him in the physical mismatch.
Box 6 – He has a hand in the lead, heading it in for Strelec. Aggressive in interdiction, already cautioned, risks a second yellow. From 82′ Heat 5.5 – Less intense.
Lobotka 6.5 – Calzona hands him the team keys, he starts the engine and drives it. He runs out of gas a few meters from the finish line.
Duda 6,5 – Effective as an assistant director, he collaborates with Lobotka in managing time and puts pressure on Bellingham in the non-possession phase. From 82′ Benes 6 – Participates in the phrasing.
Schranz 7 – the top scorer you don’t expect, the real revelation of this Euro 2024: he still arrives on time for his goal. He scores the third in four games. From 90’+3 Gyomber 5,5 – Traumatic entry.
Sagittarius 7 – He drives the English defense crazy with his movement to empty the area, he keeps his wits about him for the last pass. Before coming out he almost scores from midfield. From 62′ Bozenik 5,5 – It doesn’t worry Pickford.
Haraslin 6,5 – He feasts on the grasslands that are granted to him, he gets caught up when it’s time to finish but he does a crazy job. From the 62′ Suslov 6 – Protagonist of the latest assaults.
Francesco Calzona 6.5 – If he plays it with the typical lightness of those who know they have nothing to lose, he stops one step away from the historic feat. The bitterness remains for the epilogue, but the balance is more than positive.
