In an intense match between England and Slovenia, England secures their spot at the top of the group with a narrow 1-0 victory. Despite already being through to the next round, England pushed for a win, with Saka having a goal ruled out for offside. Mainoo and Palmer were brought on for the Three Lions in hopes of securing the win. However, Slovenia's victory would have resulted in them topping the group but they still secure their spot in the third position.
England Narrowly Defeats Slovenia to Secure Top Spot in Euro 2024 Qualifying Group
In a crucial match that held implications for both teams' qualifying chances for the Euro 2024 tournament, England emerged victorious over Slovenia with a narrow 1-0 margin. The win secured top spot in their qualifying group for the Three Lions, ensuring a more favorable seeding in the tournament draw.
Match Summary
The match, played at the Stadion Stožice in Ljubljana, Slovenia, began with both teams showing attacking intent. England controlled possession early on, but Slovenia created some dangerous chances on the counter-attack. Bukayo Saka had a goal ruled out for offside in the first half, while Slovenia missed a golden opportunity to open the scoring when Benjamin Šeško fired wide of the post.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 70th minute when Phil Foden scored a superb goal from the edge of the area. The Manchester City star cut inside from the right flank and unleashed a powerful shot into the bottom corner, leaving Slovenia goalkeeper Jan Oblak with no chance.
Implications
England's victory means they finish top of Group C with 20 points from their eight matches, two points ahead of second-placed Slovenia. The Three Lions have now qualified for their eighth consecutive major tournament, and will be among the favorites to win Euro 2024.
Slovenia, despite their defeat, still secure third place in the group and will enter the play-offs for a chance to qualify for the tournament.
Key Players
Top 5 FAQs
England had already qualified for the Euro 2024 play-offs after their 3-1 victory over Ukraine in September 2022.
A victory for Slovenia would have seen them top the group and qualify automatically for Euro 2024, while England would have had to go through the play-offs.
Phil Foden's match-winning goal and overall performance earned him the plaudits as the best player on the field.
England manager Gareth Southgate praised his team's performance and their ability to grind out a result in difficult conditions.
Euro 2024 will be held from June 14 to July 14, 2024, in Germany.
Enzo Maresca's Chelsea is on fire with a 15-goal streak in their last five games, thanks to the impressive performances of Cole Palmer and the rest of the squad. Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest, despite an impressive win over Liverpool, have struggled with consistency and will have a tough time facing the dominating Blues on Sunday. As both teams gear up for the highly-anticipated match, it remains to be seen if Chelsea's impressive form will continue or if Nottingham Forest can pull off an upset.
The Serbian superstar, Nikola Jokic, recently revealed that the loss to Team USA in the semifinals of the 2024 Paris Olympics was the hardest blow of his professional career. Despite his numerous individual and team achievements, Jokic still carries the pain of falling short against Team USA, even though his team had already beaten them in the group stage. In an interview with Mozzart Sport, Jokic spoke about the defeat, saying it was one of the toughest in their careers and describing it as a "big chance" that they ultimately couldn't capitalize on.
In a one-sided match, New Zealand outplayed India to win by a huge margin of 58 runs in the opening match of the Women's T20 World Cup 2024. The White Ferns posted the highest total of the tournament so far, with captain Sophie Devine's unbeaten 57 leading the way. India's captain Harmanpreet Kaur admitted that her team did not play their best game and will need to improve in all areas, especially fielding, in their upcoming matches.
Indian women's cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur was overwhelmed with emotion as she heard the national anthem being played before their T20 World Cup match against New Zealand. The video, posted on ICC's Instagram account, shows Kaur taking a deep breath and visibly holding back tears during the anthem. It was a powerful reminder of the pride and honor that comes with representing one's country on the global stage.
As the pressure mounts on Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, his fate could be decided this Sunday as his team faces Aston Villa. After blowing a two-goal lead against Porto in the Europa League, another defeat for United could potentially see Ten Hag sacked. With just three wins in their first 10 matches, the Red Devils are in a dire state and desperately need a positive result against Villa to turn their season around. Despite their struggles, there is a glimmer of hope for Man United as they have kept clean sheets on their last two away trips in the Premier League.
Despite Manchester United's poor start to the Premier League, manager Erik ten Hag remains confident and unfazed. The team's recent performances have sparked speculation of his potential departure, but Ten Hag assures fans that there is nothing to panic about. With a new co-owner and advisors monitoring closely, he is determined to turn things around and has already proven his resilience with a surprise FA Cup final win over Manchester City last season.
Chelsea have named Glenn van der Kraan as their new academy technical director, completing his move from Manchester City. This decision is part of the club's ongoing efforts to revamp their youth development program and bring more young talents into the first team. Van der Kraan, who previously worked with current Chelsea staff member Joe Shield, will work alongside Jake Francis to lead the academy's football operations. This appointment highlights the Blues' commitment to investing in their academy and producing homegrown talent for the first team.
From his early days in junior cricket to becoming India's most loved test keeper-batsman, Rishabh Pant has truly made his mark in the world of cricket. With explosive batting skills and outstanding records in test cricket, Pant has earned high praise from fans and experts alike. In addition, his crucial role in India's historic Border-Gavaskar Trophy win and being hailed as India's greatest test keeper-batsman have solidified his position in the international cricketing scene. As he celebrates his 27th birthday, it is clear that Pant's journey to success is far from over.
Manchester United's top executives, including co-chairman Joel Glazer and major shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe, will convene in London on Tuesday for a crucial meeting regarding the club's managerial situation. With manager Erik ten Hag under scrutiny for the team's poor performance, the outcome of their Premier League match against Aston Villa will have a major impact on his future at Old Trafford. The presence of key figures such as Glazer, Ratcliffe, and Ineos director of sport Sir Dave Brailsford adds weight to the importance of this summit, as the executives discuss the club's next steps.
In a dominant performance, South Africa's bowlers led the team to a convincing 10-wicket win over West Indies in their first match of the Women's T20 World Cup. Nonkululeko Mlaba's career-best figures of 4/29 and Marizanne Kapp's dismissals of key batters set the tone for the match. South African openers Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Britis then sealed the deal with an impressive display of batting, leaving West Indies defeated and in need of a strong comeback in their upcoming matches. With this strong start, South Africa looks to be a top contender for the T20 World Cup title.