Key occasions
Half-time studying
How do make Serie A’s participant of the season much more harmful? Get Kevin De Bruyne to feed him.
Half time: England 0-0 Slovenia
No objectives on the Nitra Stadium, although a 2-2 scoreline wouldn’t stretch credulity. Slovenia began excellently and compelled a lot of good-to-fine saves from James Beadle. England took 20 minutes to settle after which began creating possibilities. James McAtee and Ethan Nwaneri in all probability ought to have scored; Harvey Elliott nearly did when a mistimed cross* hit the submit.
The star of the half was Slovenia’s left-footed playmaker Svit Seslar, whose maverick efficiency actually ought to have been accompanied by a fag dangling rakishly from his mouth as he addressed the ball along with his left foot. In the event you nonetheless play Soccer Supervisor, you already know what to do.
* Most likely. Just one individual is aware of.
45 min Elliott flashes a shot over from 25 yards. Respectable effort however a couple of yards over.
44 min A pleasant transfer from England. Elliott, whose affect is rising, shapes a effective cross with the skin of the foot to launch the underlapping Grey. His cutback is fractionally behind Rowe, who can’t get a shot away underneath stress from Zeljkovic.
43 min “One of many Channel 4 commentators is having bother with Nwaneri – it’s popping out as Nwanieri for some purpose,” says Charles Antaki. “Why he ought to have Claudio Ranieri on his thoughts is anybody’s guess. Anyway the commentary is pleasingly low-stakes and customarily encouraging. You’d hardly realise it was an England nationwide group.”
It’s straightforward to know why Lee Carsley couldn’t wait to get again, isn’t it?
42 min Elliott’s nook is headed up within the air and within the common path of aim by Anderson. Turk strikes throughout his line to make a cushty save because the ball drops out of the sky.
39 min It is a actually pleasant recreation. Slovenia have been the extra constant menace however England have had their moments and will simply have scored three themselves.
A reminder that, for England, something lower than the perfect is a felony a defeat would make life extraordinarily tough going into their final group recreation in opposition to Germany on Wednesday. A draw wouldn’t be the top of the world, particularly as Slovenia misplaced 3-0 to Germany.
Elliott hits the submit!
36 min What a aim that might have been. Anderson drove an angled cross over the defence in the direction of Elliott on the left facet of the penalty space. He met the ball on the volley, cushioning a gorgeous effort over Turk that swerved onto the face of the submit.
Truly, I take it again – Conor Coady reckons Elliott was attempting to volley the ball throughout aim fairly than in the direction of it, and after seeing a replay I believe he’s proper.
33 min England look nervously to the referee when Cipot goes down within the space after a problem from Grey – however then all people realises the flag has gone up in opposition to Cipot.
33 min A replay of the Nwaneri probability exhibits that, whereas he ought to have scored, the ball did bounce simply in entrance of him and that made the possibility a bit extra awkward.
Tremendous save by Beadle!
31 min This fella Seslar is strolling spherical like he owns the place. He receives the ball in area 25 yards out, walks ahead a few paces and cuts throughout a left-foot shot that’s tipped over properly by Beadle. The way in which he struck that ball was so much like considered one of Gheorghe Hagi’s lethal wobblers within the early Nineties.
Nwaneri misses an amazing probability!
29 min That was a fair higher alternative for England. Someone (undecided who) performed a wonderful ball inside Brest to launch Rowe on the correct. He slowed right down to lure Brest in the direction of him, then left him for lifeless as he surged into the realm. Rowe slid an ideal ball throughout that took the keeper out of the sport and appeared to offer Nwaneri an open aim on the far submit – just for Nwaneri to go away the ball behind. We haven’t seen a replay however at first viewing it regarded a foul miss.
26 min Conor Coady, the co-commentator on Channel 4, says this “looks like a second recreation that has come spherical actually shortly”. That’s a good evaluation of England’s sluggish begin.
All issues being equal, Coady can be a effective pundit over the subsequent 20 years – he’s a pure.
24 min England take a free-kick quick to Elliott, who curls an extended cross in the direction of Cresswell on the far submit. He mistimes his header and the ball goes behind off his shoulder. Even with a clear contact he would in all probability have tried to go the ball again throughout aim.
McAtee misses a great opportunity
21 min England needs to be in entrance. An tried clearance from the sting of the realm hit one other Slovenia participant and ricocheted to place McAtee by on aim within the inside-right channel. He handed the ball tamely throughout aim and huge along with his proper foot.
Rowe – whose presence compelled the clearance that led to the possibility – is annoyed that McAtee didn’t search for him on the far submit.
20 min Extra work for Beadle, who has to scramble throughout his line save Cipot’s long-range shot on the second try. Cipot, who’s contracted to the Serie B membership Spezia, has been spectacular up entrance.
19 min England get pleasure from some prolonged possession within the Slovenia half. Ultimately Hackney runs into bother, however then England counter-press is profitable they usually settle into one other passing transfer.
17 min Quansah is compelled into conceding one other nook. England are in a recreation right here; not that Lee Carsley can be shocked.
This time Seslar’s nook is headed away by Cresswell.
15 min “Does that yellow card imply Elliott is suspended for the subsequent match? asks Joe Pearson.
No. It’s the opposite Elliott – Anderson – who’s on a yellow card from the primary recreation.
Truly, that gag, such because it was, don’t even work as a result of Elliot Anderson solely has one T in her first identify. A triumph all spherical.
14 min “Is 4 double-barrelled surnames on the bench some type of England file?” asks Andrew Goudie.
I’d be shocked whether it is. The times of Peter Rhoades-Brown being a double-barrelled novelty are lengthy gone.
Tremendous save by Beadle!
11 min Slovenia are throughout England like an affordable cliche. Seslar’s nonchalant outswinging nook is headed throughout aim in the direction of the unmarked Cipot. He watches the bounce and batters a first-time shot that’s kicked away by Beadle – a wonderful save as a result of he needed to react so shortly. It didn’t simply hit his legs, which is usually the case with saves like that.
9 min Elliott was booked for one thing or different simply after that effort from Seslar.
Pretty effort from Seslar!
8 min Begic has time to twist a flat ball into the realm in the direction of Seslar, who improvises an overhead kick from 15 yards that loops over Beadle and onto the roof of the web. Seslar’s left foot appears to be like prefer it has spent at a semester or two at Harvard.
6 min Cipot bursts down the correct and is fouled by Quansah. There was no actual want to offer away a free-kick there – and it nearly proved expensive for England.
Seslar clipped a really harmful cross right into a crowd of gamers on the close to submit, and the ball finally rolled simply huge. It’s laborious to see precisely what occurred – there have been so many gamers within the six-yard field – however I feel it may need hit the legs of the unsighted keeper Beadle at one stage.
5 min Nothing a lot to report early on. A free cross out of defence from Quanash was intercepted however nothing got here of it.
2 min Slovenia are a superb facet, who completed prime of their qualification group regardless of dropping 4-0 at residence to France*. They drew the return recreation – in opposition to a France group that included Want Doue and Mathys Tel – and gained 5 of the opposite six.
1 min England kick off from left to proper as we watch. It truly is heat on the market, 28 levels apparently. Little brisk.
The gamers are about to take the sector on what appears to be like a really heat night in western Slovakia. Let’s have a fast reminder of the groups.
England (4-2-2-2) Beadle; Grey, Cresswell, Quansah, Livramento; Hackney, Anderson; Elliott, Nwaneri; McAtee, Rowe.
Substitutes: Simkin, Sharman-Lowe, Edwards, Fellows, Hutchinson, Norton-Cuffy, Egan-Riley, Hinshelwood, Iling-Junior, Stansfield, Scott, Morton.
Slovenia (4-2-3-1) Turk; Ilenic, Jevsenak, Golic, Kuzmic; Ostrc, Zeljkovic; Seslar, Begic, Brest; T Cipot.
Substitutes: Leban, Stubljar, Obric, Kojic, Krupic, Lorber, Jovanovic, Topalovic, Pecar, Pisek, Cuber Potocnik, Milic.
Referee Goga Kikacheishvili (Georgia)
“I actually get pleasure from our under-21s,” says Ian Copestake. “Harvey Elliott can shine and really feel the respect regardless of his haircut and these boys can simply play free.”
Freedom makes the world go spherical.
Lee Carsley talks to Channel 4
There are plenty of areas [we can improve upon]. The problem is to play with extra management; it’s gonna be a troublesome recreation tonight. Slovenia are a powerful group and we’ve struggled in opposition to them previously.
Slovenia had plenty of possibilities in opposition to Germany, regardless that they misplaced 3-0, particularly within the first half. We’re actually conscious of their strengths and we’ll attempt to expose their weaknesses the place we will.
[On Ethan Nwaneri] He provides quite a bit. Everybody’s seen his high quality; the important thing with Ethan is to verify we don’t rush him, that we share his minutes round in order that when he does play he has an affect. He’s been sensible within the camp thus far. It’s a must to preserve reminding your self how previous he’s.
The gamers on a yellow card
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England Elliot Anderson
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Slovenia Mitja Ilenic, Srdan Kuzmic, Tjas Begic, Enrik Ostrc
The XIs
England (4-2-2-2) Beadle; Grey, Cresswell, Quansah, Livramento; Hackney, Anderson; Elliott, Nwaneri; McAtee, Rowe.
Substitutes: Simkin, Sharman-Lowe, Edwards, Fellows, Hutchinson, Norton-Cuffy, Egan-Riley, Hinshelwood, Iling-Junior, Stansfield, Scott, Morton.
Slovenia (4-2-3-1) Turk; Ilenic, Jevsenak, Golic, Kuzmic; Ostrc, Zeljkovic; Seslar, Begic, Brest; T Cipot.
Substitutes: Leban, Stubljar, Obric, Kojic, Krupic, Lorber, Jovanovic, Topalovic, Pecar, Pisek, Cuber Potocnik, Milic.
Referee Goga Kikacheishvili (Georgia)
England group information: Nwaneri begins
Lee Carsley makes two modifications from the win over the Czech Republic: Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney and Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri exchange Alex Scott and Omari Hutchinson.
Slovenia supervisor Andrej Razdrh sticks with the group that began in opposition to Germany. We’ll have the complete XIs in a second.
The story thus far
England beat the Czech Republic 3-1 due to objectives from Harvey Elliott, Jonathan Rowe and Charlie Cresswell.
Slovenia have been overwhelmed 3-0 by Germany, with Stuttgart’s Nick Woltemade – who performed with the massive boys within the current Nations League – scoring a hat-trick.
Preamble
And so to Nitra, the place the holders England play Slovenia of their second group recreation of the European Under-21 Championship. A tough-fought victory over the Czech Republic means Lee Carsley’s facet will nearly definitely qualify for the quarter-finals in the event that they win once more in the present day.
Fail and it’ll come to the final group recreation in opposition to Germany. However the likeliest situation, definitely the perfect one for England, is that the one factor at stake in that recreation can be who finishes prime of the group.
Kick off 5pm.
