Bet on a low scoring game between England and Slovakia in knockout round of 2024 Euros

Although England finished atop Group C to reach the knockout round of the 2024 Euros, it continues to draw plenty of criticism from pundits who remain unimpressed with the team.

The Three Lions entered the competition as favorites, with odds around +350 to win it all. That number is still available despite registering just two goals in three matches. In comparison, tournament host Germany has scored the most goals (8) and has the third-shortest odds at +550.

On Sunday at Veltins-Arena, England will face Slovakia, which finished third in Group E.

After three games, England manager Gareth Southgate is still searching for his best 11 to put on the pitch. While Southgate could make even further changes, they are not guaranteed to result in a barrage of goals against Slovakia.

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Southgate made some big decisions when picking his 26-man roster for the 2024 Euros, most notably leaving out attack-minded players like Jack Grealish, James Maddison, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho.

The omission of those four left England without two things it desperately needed — creative ingenuity and pace in the attacking third.

According to Opta Sports, England (39.3%) ranks 18th out of the 24 teams at the Euros in dribble success rate when taking on defenders. Thus, there’s enough improvement to go around at all levels of the England attack.

Moreover, England created just 18.33 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes, putting it 16th in the tournament. Those numbers aren’t exactly what you’d expect for a team bookmakers listed as the pre-tournament favorite.

England is likely to undergo changes soon, as Chelsea’s Cole Palmer could enter the starting 11 to inject some dynamism. At 22, Palmer remarkably seems unphased on the pitch. He’s shown a willingness to take on defenders and carry the ball into the attacking third.

However, if England relies solely on Palmer to rescue it from the doldrums, Southgate and his staff face even more significant issues.

A 1-1 draw against Romania on the final matchday of Group E was enough to send Slovakia into the knockout round. The Sokoli scored in all three matches during the group stage — a feat England failed to accomplish.

However, Slovakia’s 0.75 rate of expected goals per 90 minutes was the fourth-worst mark among teams in the tournament. That number was better than England’s, which was 0.73.

During qualification for the 2024 Euros, Slovakia ranked 27th with a 1.37 xG rate.

It’s tough to see much improvement in those numbers against an England defense that’s been dominant in this tournament. England leads the competition with an expected-goals allowed of 0.38. The next best team is Germany at 0.60.

Slovakia will likely cede possession from the opening whistle, as it saw only 39.6% of the ball in its 1-0 upset over Belgium. It does have enough experience to play without the ball, as the 37-year-old Juraj Kucka leads the midfield line.

In goal, Martin Dubravka can add some familiarity against this England side since he plays his club football for Newcastle United. Thus, there’s no reason to think Slovakia will be in awe playing against England. It’s a very workmanlike team that can do enough to frustrate an English team struggling to hit its stride.

Southgate’s squad could lack the right mix of players to impact the attack at this tournament. In addition to bringing on Palmer, he might also need to consider Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo.

England desperately needs willing players who can get on the ball and attack the opposition.

While Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham are terrific players, they’ve yet to show the cutting edge required to make the killer pass that would break the lines.

Nonetheless, Southgate should continue with a pragmatic approach because it’s all about surviving and advancing in the knockout rounds.

England’s defense should remain solid against this Slovakia outfit, and given the matchup, we could be in for another defensive battle.

Thus, with the total set at 2.5 goals, the under is still valuable, even with odds juiced to -138.

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