England vs Slovenia Predictions

• Slovenia have conceded only two goals so far
• England’s last three games have finished with fewer than three goals scored
• The Three Lions won 1-0 either side of a draw in the group stage of Euro 2020
• Harry Kane has 11 strikes in his last 12 competitive games for England

Pressure building on England

England got away with a poor display in their opener, but the manner of their 1-1 draw with Denmark has increased the pressure on Gareth Southgate and his team. The England boss has been trying to rebuild the spirit of the 2018 World Cup in the aftermath, where the Three Lions made the semi-finals on a wave of optimism and little expectation.

The Three Lions followed that by making the final of Euro 2020 and it’s worth noting that their start to that tournament was similar to what they’ve experienced this time around. England beat Croatia 1-0 in their opener, before a 0-0 draw with Scotland. They rounded off the group with a 1-0 win over the Czech Republic, before stepping up in the knockout rounds as all good tournament teams do.

That start could suggest how the Three Lions will approach their final group game, especially with Gareth Southgate expected to make some changes following the Denmark draw.

Evolution, not revolution for England

The aftermath of the Denmark draw has prompted calls for a radical overhaul to this England side. There’s been plenty of deserved criticism for the squad Southgate picked, which does leave him a little short on options when it comes to adjusting his approach.

The key thing for England will be tightening up at the back, while they need to get a better grip of games after getting ahead. The quick turnaround between games suggests Southgate won’t suddenly have his side playing with Manchester City levels of control, while their disjointed attacking displays point to this being a low-scoring affair.

England face a stern test against a Slovenia side that have drawn their opening two games, so this is unlikely to be the comprehensive win fans are begging for.

Another unspectacular England display

England still need a result in this game to be assured of a place in the last 16, while they’ll want the three points that will confirm them as group winners. While Slovenia are still in the mix to qualify, little from their opening two games suggests they can match the quality of this England side.

Slovenia have conceded only two goals at the tournament, but they’ve allowed a lot of shots on goal. Aleksandar Mitrovic had a lot of opportunities against them and this feels like a chance for Harry Kane to silence some of his critics. The forward is now the Golden Boot favourite and with 11 strikes in his last 12 competitive games for England, he’s the most likely man to make the breakthrough.

England have now seen their last three games finish with fewer than three goals, with a late flurry against a poor Bosnia side resulting in a 3-0 win before that. Slovenia are seen as the weakest side in the group and they certainly have fewer creative players than Serbia or Denmark, so the Three Lions should be able to maintain this lead. With a quieter game expected, look to England to win and under 2.5 goals to be scored.