Jude Bellingham’s spectacular 95th-minute bicycle kick rescued England from the brink against Slovakia in Euro 2024, propelling them into the quarter-finals with a 2-1 victory after Harry Kane’s decisive extra-time goal.
Despite a lackluster performance, England found themselves trailing early as Ivan Schranz put Slovakia ahead in the 25th minute with a well-placed finish past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. England’s struggles continued as Phil Foden’s offside goal was disallowed, and Kane and Declan Rice came close but couldn’t find the net.
With time running out and hopes fading, Bellingham, celebrating his 21st birthday, delivered a moment of brilliance with a stunning bicycle kick to equalize, igniting hope among England’s frustrated fans.
“What an unbelievable goal, he’s kept our tournament alive,” Kane remarked, hailing Bellingham’s strike as historic for the nation.
In extra time, England wasted no time asserting their dominance as Kane headed in a close-range winner within a minute, completing a remarkable turnaround. Slovakia, who had faded as the game progressed, nearly equalized through Peter Pekarik just before halftime in extra time.
Despite England’s fortunate escape, manager Gareth Southgate faces criticism for delaying substitutions despite his team’s evident struggles.
Slovakia, who had taken the lead through Schranz’s third goal of the tournament, expressed disappointment at coming so close to causing an upset.
“We played on par with England, we were almost there,” Slovakia coach Francesco Calzona lamented. “Unfortunately, things didn’t go our way.”
Schranz echoed his coach’s sentiments, reflecting on missed opportunities but expressing pride in Slovakia’s performance.
England now sets their sights on a tough quarter-final clash against Switzerland, needing a stronger performance to advance further in the tournament.
Despite the victory, questions linger over England’s form and strategy heading into the later stages of Euro 2024.
