England won Group C with a 0-0 draw with Slovenia on Tuesday night.
It was another poor performance from Gareth Southgate’s men, who showed glimpses of improvement but fell well short of expectations, but Denmark’s 0-0 draw with Serbia ensured they went in as group winners.
How the game happened
Benjamin Sesko had the first half chance of the game as the RB Leipzig striker headed a soft ball past Jordan Pickford inside the first five minutes.
It was a poor start for England, who had to wait until the 20th minute to get their first shot. That effort, however, resulted in Bukayo Saka hitting the ball into the back of the net, only for the offside flag to rule the goal out.
England’s first official shots came on the half-hour mark. Harry Kane saw an effort blocked before a long-range strike – the Three Lions’ first to hit the post – was met by Jan Oblak in the Slovenia net.
Kieran Trippier’s ball looked set to lead to the first goal, but Conor Gallagher failed to connect with his header, before Kane’s outstretched boot was able to steer the ball towards goal as England went into the break level.
England were more dominant in the second half – it wouldn’t have been hard to beat that – but, despite the goal play, they still struggled to get past Oblak’s goal.
With 15 minutes to go, Declan Rice scored a superb goal as England continued to push for the opening goal, but there was no spark for the Three Lions.
GK: Jordan Pickford – 6/10 – He was given rotten backpasses at times but managed to clear his lines well.
RB: Kyle Walker – 5/10 – He is very safe in his passing. He often turns back rather than looking to play from Saka.
CB: John Stones – 5/10 – You are not particularly comfortable on the ball or when working with Sesko in the air.
CB: Marc Guehi – 6/10 – Slow and safe with the ball at his feet. He had more touches than any England player in the first half, which speaks volumes for England’s problem.
LB: Kieran Trippier – 6/10 – He is more involved going forward and making decent crosses, although his performance feels unpredictable, due to his reluctance to use his left foot.
DM: Conor Gallagher – 5/10 – It pressed with good power but did not provide enough control in handling. A lackluster pass.
DM: Declan Rice – 5/10 – He tried to get involved when England went forward and made a few decent passes, but not enough for a player of his caliber.
RM: Bukayo Saka – 5/10 – Really bad in the first half but the biggest threat after the break. He did his best to try and do something against a deep Slovenian defense before being withdrawn from Palmer.
AM: Jude Bellingham – 4/10 – The man responsible for linking the midfield and attack failed to do his part. It usually looked like chasing shadows.
LM: Phil Foden – 6/10 – Far from perfect but arguably his strongest performance of the summer so far. Live when you are given the opportunity to make things happen.
ST: Harry Kane – 5/10 – It’s alone again. It failed to lift the ball high enough, but played a poor pass to Bellingham early in the second half.
Your substitute
SUB: Kobbie Mainoo (45′ for Gallagher) – 6/10
SUB: Cole Palmer (70′ for Saka) – 6/10
SUB: Trent Alexander-Arnold (84′ for Trippier) – N/A
SUB: Anthony Gordon (89′ for Foden) – N/A
Subs used: Aaron Ramsdale (GK), Dean Henderson (GK), Ezri Konsa, Joe Gomez, Lewis Dunk, Luke Shaw, Adam Wharton, Ebere Eze, Ivan Toney, Jarrod Bowen, Ollie Watkins
The manager
Gareth Southgate – 5/10 – Fair play for trying something different, but this was bad again.
GK: Jan Oblak – 6/10 – It wasn’t unusual for him to push himself but rebel against everything England threw at him.
RB: Zan Karnicnik – 6/10 – Dangerous buzzing down the right wing. His last ball was often lacking but his movement was enough to cause England problems.
CB: Vanja Drkusic – 7/10 – It had no problems repelling England’s limited attack. He didn’t give Kane an inch.
CB: Jaka Bijol – 7/10 – He is comfortable at the back and even gave glimpses of his long-range skills to help Slovenia ease the pressure.
LB: Erik Janza – 6/10 – It wasn’t really checked by Saka from behind in an incredibly quiet way.
RM: Petar Stojanovic – 7/10 – A determined runner who was always looking to cause problems for England’s defenders. It’s dangerous sometimes.
CM: Adam Gnezda Cerin – 6/10 – He was happy to let England go and instead stay to help protect his back line.
CM: Timi Elsnik – 7/10 – Management is well linked to another comfortable midfield performance.
LM: Jan Mlakar – 6/10 – Occasional presence under left wing. He gave enough to keep Walker on his toes.
ST: Andraz Sporar – 6/10 – A real danger in the Slovenian box. It gave the Stones and Guehi plenty to think about.
ST: Benjamin Sesko – 6/10 – A few good performances saw him try to use his height to dominate England’s defenders.
Your substitute
SUB: Josip Ilicic (75′ for Sesko) – 5/10
SUB: Jon Gorenc-Stankovic (86′ for Mlakar) – N/A
SUB: Zan Celar (86′ for Sporar) – N/A
SUB: Jure Balkovec (90′ for Janza) – N/A
Subs used: Igor Vekic (GK), Vid Belec (GK), David Brekalo, Miha Blazic, Adrian Zeljkovic, Jasmin Kurtic, Sandi Lovric, Tomi Horvat, Benjamin Verbic, Nino Zugelj, Zan Vipotnik
The manager
Matjaz Kek – 7/10 – Slovenia were never going to win this game, but they can hold their heads high after a brave performance that could easily have been rewarded with three points on another day.
Player of the match – Jaka Bijol (Slovenia)
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