England drew 0-0 with Slovenia in the final match of their 2024 European Championship group stage on the early morning of June 26th.
Although England seemed confident at the start, attempting to launch attacks from the left flank multiple times, such as Foden’s breakthrough attempt in the 10th minute, their overall attacking efficiency was lacking in the first half. It also highlighted the shortcomings in England’s one-dimensional attack and tactical setup, particularly the lack of effective synergy between Foden and Bellingham.
In the second half, England sought to break the deadlock through substitutions. The subsequent introduction of Kobe Mainu and Cole Palmer injected some vitality into the frontline, but they still found it difficult to break down Slovenia’s packed defense. Towards the end of the game, Palmer missed a golden opportunity to score, his shot lacked power and failed to test the opposition goalkeeper.
Ultimately, the game in Cologne ended in a 0-0 draw. While England dominated possession with a 74% control rate, they could only accept the draw. However, thanks to the other Group C match between Denmark and Serbia ending in a 0-0 draw, England still managed to advance to the Round of 16 as group leaders, joining Slovenia and Denmark in qualifying from Group C.
Looking back on England’s group stage campaign, their tally of just two goals in three matches is rather awkward: they edged past Serbia 1-0 in the opening match thanks to Bellingham’s goal, drew 1-1 with Denmark in the second match with Kane scoring a goal, and finally drew a blank against Slovenia in the last match. Despite the meager goal count, England topped the group, a situation that is both amusing and perplexing.
Interestingly, England’s performance has also set a rare record in football history. Only five teams in the history of the World Cup and European Championships have managed to top their group while scoring no more than two goals, and England accounts for three of those. The other teams to achieve this “unusual feat” were Italy in the 1970 World Cup, Northern Ireland in the 1982 World Cup, and England themselves in the 2020 European Championship. The stark contrast between England’s ability to create chances and their lack of finishing has undoubtedly become a major talking point in this European Championship group stage.
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