Here are the key points to take from the day
Serbia’s persistence pays off
Despite putting on a promising performance against England on Sunday, Serbia left the match empty-handed. They understood the significance of their second group match.
But with only 20 minutes left in Munich, Dragan Stojkovic’s team was facing a difficult situation, falling behind Zan Karnicnik’s well-executed goal for Slovenia.
Serbia could have easily panicked considering the circumstances. However, under Stojkovic, the team remained composed and pushed forward in search of a late equalizer to maintain their chances of advancing before the last group match.
Despite appearing to be a case of too little, too late with Jan Oblak holding strong in the Slovenia goal, everything changed in the fifth minute of added time.
Slovenia Goalkeeper Jan Oblak
Substitute Luka Jovic served as a timely reminder of his goal-scoring ability, securing a dramatic draw and salvaging a valuable point for Serbia.
Jovic’s goal could prove to be decisive, as a win against Denmark next Tuesday should be enough to see Serbia through to the knockout stages.
England given a wake-up call
Morten Hjulmand Scoring A Screamer to Equalize Against England
After two matches in Euro 2024, England has yet to find their rhythm. While they narrowly escaped with a win against Serbia, their luck ran out against a formidable Danish team yesterday. Gareth Southgate’s squad displayed a lackluster performance in the second half against Serbia, and this trend persisted for most of their 1-1 draw with Denmark.
Southgate must carefully observe his team’s performance in these opening two games; otherwise, England’s tournament could be cut short sooner rather than later.
Their current system isn’t working
Denmark consistently exploited England’s vulnerabilities both in the center of midfield and on the flank. Declan Rice was getting little support from Jude Bellingham or Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kieran Trippier was left isolated without support from the free-roaming Phil Foden.
England appears disorganized in defensive transitions and lacks coordination in their attacking play. The team is noticeably lacking the chemistry that was evident during the 2022 World Cup.
Apart from the chemistry problem, a crucial issue is the players being directed to apply the handbrakes once they take the lead.
Harry Kane’s early goal against Denmark was executed excellently, but what followed resembled England’s tactics in the narrow victory over Serbia. Following the goal, they relinquished possession, adopted a defensive stance, and allowed Denmark to take the initiative.
We have seen it before at major tournaments from Southgate but England’s midfield is far more vulnerable defensively this time out and such an approach is disastrous.
England possesses undeniable attacking talent, as demonstrated by glimpses of brilliance from Kane, Foden, and Bukayo Saka in the team’s first two matches.
With such talent, England can secure wins against teams like Serbia and Denmark before the hour mark. At 3-0 ahead, it is feasible to adopt a more defensive approach, make strategic substitutions, and aim to preserve a clean sheet not when leading by just 1-0.
England Line Up
For England’s final group game where they need a point to progress, Southgate must implement changes. The current setup with Alexander-Arnold in midfield is ineffective, signaling the need for adjustments.
Bringing in Anthony Gordon to assist Trippier, shifting Bellingham to support Rice, and positioning Foden centrally seems to be the clear solution to England’s mounting challenges.
Spain shows they can avoid their predecessors’ fate
Lamine Yamal,Morata And Pedri Celebrating Riccardo Calafiori Own Goal
Spain has not won a major tournament in 12 years, with their main weakness being the struggle to break down defensively strong opponents due to a lack of directness.
Thanks to two young stars though, that’s no longer the case.
