England have been handed a dream route to the Euro 2024 final with Slovakia confirmed as their last 16 opponents. Georgia's shock 2-0 victory over Portugal has seen Gareth Southgate 's men pitted against the Falcons, who they drew against in the Euro 2016 group stage. Only captain Harry Kane and defenders John Stones and Kyle Walker have remained in the Three Lions squad eight years later.
And none of those started in the drab draw which saw Wales top the group, with Kane a second-half substitute, while Roy Hodgson decided to leave the Manchester City duo on the bench. As for Slovakia , they have six players still in their squad from 2016, with Milan Skriniar, Ondrej Duda, Juraj Kucka, and Peter Pekarik all starting in Wednesday's 1-1 draw against Romania. It was Duda's headed effort that earned Slovakia a point to seem the finish third in Group E.
talkSPORT presenter Jamie O'Hara declared, 'Southgate's a genius' on the Sports Bar, having been left buzzing by the challenge of Slovakia at Schalke's Veltins-Arena on Sunday as opposed to the Netherlands. Though his co-host Jason Cundy has told England, who topped Group C despite drawing two matches, to 'beware' of the danger that Slovakia possess. O'Hara said: "Another stinkfest coming our way surely, even Gareth Southgate can't avoid the final now come on, we've got an unbelievable chance.
" But keen to stress Slovakia will be no mugs, Cundy remarked: "You look at the route, there is a pathway through to the final. How do we nav.
