Ahead of Sunday’s European Championship clash between England and Slovakia, Sports Mole looks at the head-to-head record and previous meetings between the two clubs.
Having avoided a daunting Euro 2024 last-16 tie against one of the continental behemoths, England can look forward to an ostensibly friendlier opening knockout battle with Slovakia on Sunday evening in Gelsenkirchen.
The Three Lions left a lot to be desired in their three Group C ties versus Serbia, Slovenia and Denmark, but collecting five points and staying unbeaten was enough to send Gareth Southgate‘s men through as group winners.
England could have been pitting their wits against the Netherlands had Georgia not upset the apple cart in Group F – thereby altering the third-placed rankings – but Slovakia are not to be taken lightly, as their shock beating of Belgium proved.
Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at the head-to-head record and previous meetings between the two sides.
© Reuters
Head-to-head record
Previous meetings: 6
England wins: 5
Draws: 1
Slovakia wins: 0
Unsurprisingly, England head to the Veltins-Arena with a string of positive results under their belts from previous contests against Slovakia, whom they have beaten five times from their previous six competitive and non-competitive matches.
The Three Lions are yet to suffer defeat to their last-16 foes either, although the only time they failed to beat Slovakia coincidentally came during their short-lived Euro 2016 affair, when Roy Hodgson‘s men were held to a goalless stalemate in the group.
On that occasion, Hodgson shuffled his pack to no avail, as the Three Lions were condemned to a second-placed finish in the group, as Slovakia celebrated earning the point that punched their ticket to the knockout rounds as one of the best third-placed sides.
Since that drab stalemate, though, England have re-asserted their dominance over Slovakia with a pair of victories during the 2018 World Cup qualifying period, firstly prevailing 1-0 in September 2016 courtesy of an Adam Lallana effort, in what was Sam Allardyce‘s only match in charge.
Following the ‘Big Sam’ farce, England and Slovakia reunited exactly one year later at Wembley, where Marcus Rashford made up for an early error with a goal and assist in a 2-1 success, having given the ball away for Stanislav Lobotka‘s opener.
Neither performance was inspiring by any means, though, and England have to go back 15 years for the last time that they beat Slovakia by more than a one-goal margin, thumping the Falcons 4-0 in a 2009 friendly thanks to a Wayne Rooney brace, and strikes from Emile Heskey and Frank Lampard.
After Slovakia regained independence in the 1990s, the two sides first crossed paths during the qualifying phase for Euro 2004, where their inaugural meeting in October 2002 ended with David Beckham and Michael Owen firing England to a 2-1 success in Bratislava.
Eight months later in June 2003, Sven-Goran Eriksson‘s men triumphed by the same scoreline at the Riverside Stadium thanks to an Owen brace, and current boss Southgate was among the England troops to play 90 minutes that day.
Previous meetings
Sep 04, 2017: England 2-1 Slovakia (World Cup Qualifying – Europe Group Stage)
Sep 04, 2016: Slovakia 0-1 England (World Cup Qualifying – Europe Group Stage)
Jun 20, 2016: Slovakia 0-0 England (European Championship Group Stage)
Mar 28, 2009: England 4-0 Slovakia (International Friendly)
Jun 11, 2003: England 2-1 Slovakia (European Championship Qualifying)
Oct 12, 2002: Slovakia 1-2 England (European Championship Qualifying)No Data Analysis info