England 2-1 Slovakia
Marcus Rashford showed a flash of brilliance to score the crucial winner for England in a 2-1 win, and that after gifting the visitors an early goal.
Following a 4-0 victory in Malta, most betting tips pointed to another England win. But after an edgy first half hour, an easy ride was clearly unlikely.
They often fly under the radar of betting websites and the online gambling world but Slovakia are a tough team to beat, and with no little talent. So when they went ahead on three minutes, it served as a serious warning to the Three Lions. Marcus Rashford was sloppy in losing the ball to Adam Nemec who chipped expertly forward for Stanislav Lobotka to hit a sublime finish.
Slovakia looked as assured as any visiting team at Wembley, the early goal breathing confidence throughout the side, while England huffed and puffed. The fleet of foot Vladimir Weiss was giving the England rearguard plenty to think about but the home fans breathed a heavy sigh of relief when their team drew level on 36 minutes.
Rashford swung a corner low into the box and Eric Dier converted brilliantly into the roof of the net. Half-time parity was just about deserved by Gareth Southgate’s team.
England came out for the second half with more purpose, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain testing the Slovak keeper Dubravka. At the other end, Joe Hart had to react well to keep out a shot from Nemec. But the Three Lions continued to press and Marcus Rashford soon atoned for his early error, driving forward from midfield and unleashing a terrific shot into the corner from 20 yards.
This was a crucial win for England who must now believe they are almost there. Slovakia are in a fight for playoff place.
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