Draw Against Slovenia, England Still Benefits On The Euro 2024 Knockout Line

Phill Fodden, still benefited in the last 16 of Euro 2024 (photo: dock.uefa.com)

JAKARTA - England managed to finish as winners of Group C after a draw against Slovenia, 0-0, in the last match of the Group C 2024 preliminary round, Tuesday, June 25. Although their performance is far from impressive, Gareth Southgate's team managed to secure a position as group winners.

The match against Slovenia was almost without a meaningful chance. The best effort came from Cole Palmer in the 89th minute, but his shot was easily cleared by Slovenian goalkeeper Jan Oblak. By the end of the game, England will have to rely on other match results to ensure their position is at the top of the group.

Despite only getting five points from three matches, England still gets a profitable path in the knockout phase. They managed to avoid meeting with strong teams such as Spain, Germany, Portugal and France. As winners of Group C, England will face third-placed teams from Group D or Group E.

The most likely option is that they will meet the Netherlands, which previously lost 3-2 to Austria. However, Britain can also meet with Romania, Belgium, Slovakia, or Ukraine, depending on the results of other matches.

If England were able to overcome their opponents in the round of 16, they would most likely face the winner of Italy's match against Switzerland in the quarter-finals. The match could be an opportunity for England to remove the bitter memories of defeat to Italy in the previous tournament.

To reach the final, England most likely had to go through tough opponents like the Netherlands in the quarter-finals. However, the UK trip at Euro 2024 shows that they may not need to face their favorite teams until the final.

With this result, England has a great opportunity to go far in this tournament, although they must remain vigilant against the opponents they will face in the knockout phase.