England THROUGH to Euro 2024 quarter-finals with comeback 2-1 victory

Captain Harry Kane tonight headed England into the Euro 2024 quarter-finals – after a massive scare against minnows Slovakia, in a dramatic great escape.

Manager Gareth Southgate’s men looked on the brink of an embarrassing Euros exit in Gelsenkirchen, only for Jude Bellingham‘s spectacular overhead kick to salvage an equaliser deep into stoppage-time.

And skipper Kane delighted the England fans who made up the majority inside Gelsenkirchen’s 60,000-capacity Arena AufSchalke with the decisive goal – as the Three Lions turned their Round of 16 showdown on its head in 196 seconds.

It sets up England for a quarter-final clash with Switzerland on Saturday in Dusseldorf and eases some of the pressure on beleaguered boss Southgate.

England had been jeered off at half-time as they went in a goal down to Ivan Schranz’s 25th-strike for the unfancied Slovakians, who are ranked 45th in the world – 40 places below England.

And there was evident disbelief as Southgate sent the same eleven back on to the field for the second period, with boos ringing out within two minutes of the restart.

Former internationals had angrily laid into England’s performance at half-time during ITV‘s coverage, including visibly furious former Three Lions full-back Gary Neville.

The ex-Manchester United captain stormed: ‘It is illegal that Trent Alexander-Arnold isn’t playing in a game like today.’

He raged, after seeing England struggle to test Slovakia’s Newcastle United goalkeeper Martin Dubravka in the opening period: ‘We’ve watched this now for three and a half games.

‘We tried to be really positive pre-game, thinking this is going to be the game – I don’t think it’s a case of one sub, two subs, I think he’s got to get three on the pitch.

‘He’s got to shift the whole narrative around this game because that is not changing unless he does something, starting now.’

There was a glimmer of hope in the 50th minute when Manchester City’s Phil Foden – back from briefly returning to England for the birth of his third child earlier this week – shinned the ball into the net five minutes into the second half.

Yet celebrations were cut short when a VAR checked ruled he was offside and the equaliser was disallowed – before Arsenal’s Declan Rose later hit the post.

But the mood dramatically changed with Bellingham’s stoppage-time equaliser, which sent the game into extra-time – followed swiftly by Kane’s bullet header to put England in front. 

Southgate had made substitutions late in normal time, such as bringing on Chelsea forward Cole Palmer, Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze and Brentford striker Ivan Toney.

Supporters in the crowd included wives and girlfriends of the England players as well as celebrities such as chart-topping pop star Ed Sheeran.

Extreme mood changes as the action unfolded could be seen on many faces, as Slovakia dominated the first half and took the lead – before England fought back. 

The players had appeared confident when entering the Arena AufSchalke ahead of the 5pm kick-off, with manager Southgate making one change to his starting XI following last Tuesday’s underwhelming goalless draw with Slovenia.

He picked Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo in place of Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher, as England sought to book a place in the Euros quarter-finals in Germany.

Supporters had been thronging into the German city and calling for the team to play without fear and silence critics with a thumping victory – while back home in England bars and fan parks were brimming with excitement.

Only 6,500 tickets were officially available for tonight’s Round of 16 encounter, but hordes more than that number converged on Gelsenkirchen and started raising their beer glasses six hours before kick-off.

Crowds belted out ‘Football’s Coming Home’, tribute songs to Jarrod Bowen and Phil Foden and the national anthem, amid optimistic hopes England to perform like potential European champions.

More than 30,000 England fans were thought to be inside the 60,000-capacity Arena AufSchalke, full of hope despite lacklustre performances in the group stages.

Three Lions supporters demonstrated once again that, despite lack of official tickets, they had managed to circumnavigate the system and turn out in force.

England and Middlesbrough fan Paul Walker, 51, who was with his 17-year-old daughter Kalea, said beforehand: ‘It will be a dream come true for us to see England play here in Germany.

‘I live here now and make the trip back to England to see the team at Wembley – we were lucky to get tickets in the ballot and are so looking forward to seeing a 3-0 England victory.

‘The team have been criticised unfairly over the group matches because we came out top and undefeated.

‘It is a knock-out match now and we must not play defensively. We have got players like Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham who can put the fear into any team in the last 16.

‘England have got to be on fire and show Slovakia they are in charge. We have the team to do that, with some of the best players in the world.’

Mr Walker, who like his teenage daughter wore an England shirt, added: ‘If you look around you, you see so many England fans who have spent a lot of money and put in the travelling time to get here.

‘We are all here for England and I know that will not be lost on the players – we really are the team’s 12th man.

‘But even if we win this cup I do think it is time for Southgate to leave and I would like to see Jurgen Klopp or Eddie Howe of Newcastle take over. We do need a fresh start.

Kalea, who has travelled to Wembley several times with her father, added cautiously: ‘I think we can win, but probably like 2-1.’

Technician Keith Randall, 31, from Sheffield said: ‘England fans are amazing and we support the boys in every game.

‘What people have to remember is that they are representing their country and that is the biggest honour for them. But I always feel they are playing for us as supporters too.

‘The stadium is going to be mostly full of England (fans) and I can’t imagine what the pubs are going to be like back home. Come on England!’

Two Slovenians also travelled to support England and had the flag of St George draped over their shoulders.

Michael Mikla, a 25-year-old from Ljubljana who was with his friend Anja, said: ‘I have supported England since I was a boy.

‘When England played Slovenia last week, a draw was a perfect result for me because it meant both teams could progress.

The salesman added: ‘I would love England to be in the final. The players are the best and they play football with style.’

England beat Serbia 1-0 in Gelsenkirchen in their opening Group C game, thanks to a goal by Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham, followed by a 1-1 draw with Denmark and a goalless stalemate against Slovenia.

A victory for Southgate’s side today would mean facing Switzerland in the quarter-finals next Saturday in Dusseldorf, again at 5pm.

Switzerland yesterday progressed by triumphing 2-0 over reigning champions Italy, who previously beat England on penalties in the Euro 2020 final at Wembley.

Today’s Gelsenkirchen clash came one day short of 18 years since England were knocked out of the 2006 World Cup in the same Arena AufSchalke venue, defeated on penalties in a quarter-final against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal.