England - Slovakia predictions and free betting tips [30/06/2024]

In what promises to be a thrilling encounter, the England national team will face Slovakia in the Round of 16 of Euro 2024 on Sunday, 30 June. Gareth Southgate’s side has faced criticism for their group stage performances, whereas the red-and-blues finished third in Group E and enter the clash as underdogs.

Predicted Line-ups

England: Pickford; Walker, Stones, Guehi, Trippier; Mainoo, Rice; Saka, Bellingham, Foden; Kane.

England, as tournament favourites, boast a star-studded squad in virtually every position. However, key players have yet to meet expectations. This includes holding midfielder Rice (Arsenal), Gallagher (Chelsea), and attacking talents like Saka (Arsenal), Bellingham (Real Madrid), and Kane (Bayern Munich). Notably, Harry Kane has scored six goals in his last six knockout stage appearances at major tournaments – two in the last World Cup and four at Euro 2020. Meanwhile, the defence looks more solid, with young centre-back Guehi (Crystal Palace) forming a reliable partnership with Stones (Manchester City).

Southgate has sparingly used promising talents Gordon (Newcastle) and Palmer (Chelsea), who are ready to come off the bench. Left-back Shaw (Manchester United), who missed the match against Slovenia due to injury, is fully fit for Sunday. Phil Foden has rejoined the “Three Lions” after the birth of his child, and Kieran Trippier, who played as a left wing-back last week, is prepared to bolster the flank in the second half if needed.

Slovakia: Dubravka; Pekarik, Vavro, Skriniar, Hanko; Kucka, Lobotka, Duda; Schranz, Bozenik, Haraslin.

Slovakia can call upon several quality players, such as Lobotka (Napoli), Haraslin (Sparta Prague), Schranz (Slavia Prague), Kucka, Duda (Verona), and Bozenik, who are all expected to start under Francesco Calzone. Schranz scored in the opening two matches against Belgium and Ukraine, while Duda netted a header against Romania. The visitors will focus on defensive robustness, with Paris Saint-Germain’s Skriniar leading the backline, supported by Feyenoord’s centrel-defender Hanko.

Young talent Suslov (Verona) may again find himself on the bench, as Calzone tends not to rotate his squad frequently between matches. Martin Dubravka will don the goalkeeper gloves, while Boavista forward David Strelec is ready to impact the game off the bench in the second half. Forward Robert Mak (16 goals in 81 matches), defenders Tomic (5 matches) and Satka (33 matches) did not travel to Germany: Mak was omitted from the squad for playing reasons, while the others are injured.

England

The world’s press tipped the British national team as the main title contenders before the tournament. Still, Southgate’s men haven’t met expectations, despite finishing first in Group D. The “Three Lions” narrowly beat Serbia in the opener thanks to Bellingham’s goal, followed by a draw against Denmark (1-1) in a match they could have lost. Finally, Tuesday evening saw another uninspiring performance against Slovenia, finishing 0-0. As England strives for their first major trophy since 1966, they seem unlikely to end this drought this time around.

Neither France, Belgium, Portugal, Germany, nor Spain will block England's path to the final due to the play-off draw. However, a win on Sunday could set up a quarter-final clash with Italy, who won the Euro 2020 final on penalties at Wembley. England has won only twice in their last eight matches across all competitions, and only twice in that period have they scored more than one goal per game. On the other hand, Southgate's side has been defensively solid, conceding more than once only to Belgium in March since their 2022 World Cup exit.

Slovakia

Having been knocked out in the Round of 16 in 2016 and failing to progress beyond the group stage in the last Euros, Slovakia has reached the play-offs for only the second time since becoming an independent nation in the 1990s. The red-and-blues pulled off the first real upset of the tournament by beating Belgium (1-0) in their opener, thanks to Schranz’s early goal. However, Calzone’s men missed the chance to secure their Round of 16 spot, losing 2-1 to Ukraine despite leading at halftime. In their third match against Romania, both teams needed a draw to progress, which they achieved. 

An interesting fact: Slovakia recorded 37 shots on target over three matches, a new national record for major tournaments; in contrast, they managed only two on target at Euro 2020. In the qualifying campaign for Euro 2024, Slovakia finished second in their group, far behind Portugal. Throughout the qualifiers, Calzone’s side lost only twice in 10 matches – both times to the red-and-greens. This success is largely due to the team’s considerable experience, with an average age of over 30 years and 200+ days.

Head-to-Head

Since Slovakia gained independence, these teams have met only four times, with England dominating with three wins. Slovakia has never beaten the “Three Lions” and managed just one draw – a goalless affair at Euro 2016 in the group stage.

Prediction for the England vs Slovakia Match

England’s performances have not been impressive so far in the tournament, yet they remain one of the main favourites for the Euro title, thanks to their excellent squad and abundance of stars at Southgate’s disposal. It feels like the “Three Lions” could hit their stride just in time for the knockout rounds, especially with Phil Foden returning to fitness. Slovakia reached the knockout stage with a bit of luck and field significantly less renowned players. Even their victory over Belgium in the opening match was against the odds – it’s unlikely they’ll pull off another upset. I’m backing a routine win for the Brits with a -1 handicap.

Prediction for the Total

England has conceded just one goal in this Euro, and that was a long-range strike from the Danes. Slovakia’s attack is modest, and they’re unlikely to break through a solid English defence, especially with Southgate’s side keeping three clean sheets in their last five matches. I’ll risk a bet on “both teams to score: no.”

Prediction for Corners

Undoubtedly, England will dominate possession throughout the 90 minutes and will lead the key stats, including corners. Slovakia will have a tough time containing the “Three Lions” star-studded attack without nervously clearing the ball out. Hence, I’m backing the home team to win the corners with a -2.5 handicap.

Prediction for Yellow Cards

Slovakia will brace themselves as underdogs and resort to frequent fouling to disrupt England’s tempo. Considering the dynamic presence of Saka, Bellingham, and Foden in attack, I confidently back the red-and-blues to receive more yellow cards.

Prediction for the Score

I’m placing my bet on a 2-0 victory for England.