Two new Euro 2024 Round of 16 clashes will be played on Sunday, June 30. At 19:00, England meets Slovakia, and at 22:00, the favorite Spain faces the surprise Czech Republic.
England started the tournament in Germany as favorites for the title due to their strong performances in recent major tournaments, as well as a formidable squad featuring stars such as Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane and Phil Foden. However, Gareth Southgate's side disappointed in the group stage where they managed just one win and scored just two goals. The Three Lions looked tired, cautious and clueless in attack, but they still achieved their goal and finished first in their group, thus falling into the much easier stream and having no way to meet before the final Germany, France, Belgium, Portugal and Spain.
For their part, Slovakia managed to get out of the highly contested Group E, in which all four teams recorded a win, a draw and a loss and finished with an equal number of points - 4. The Slovaks' goal difference earned them third place and a clash with England in the eliminations.
Left-back Kieran Trippier is out for England, with fellow player Luke Shaw also unavailable for the 90 minutes, meaning Southgate will have to improvise defensively. He is also expected to make changes in the center after unconvincing performances in previous games, with Manchester United young talent Coby Mayno possibly given a first-minute chance to partner Declan Rice.
The winner of this match will play Switzerland or Italy in the quarter-finals.
In the late game, Spain must prove their status as favorites against debutants Georgia, who surprisingly made it through the group stage after beating Portugal in their last game. The Spaniards are the only ones to have won three of their group games, keeping a clean sheet, and Luis de la Fuente's side look to be in their best form yet. Georgia have on their side the high spirits of their sensational qualification for the round of 16, as well as the top scorer of the tournament so far - Georges Mikoutadze, who has scored in all three of the team's matches so far and has three goals.
The winner of this pair will meet either Germany or Denmark in the quarter-finals.
Program for Sunday of Euro 2024:
19:00, England - Slovakia
22:00, Spain - Georgia. | BGNES
