Despite stuttering in their opening two showdowns, Spain’s victory on Monday means England are at least guaranteed a place in the last 16 as one of the four best third-place teams.
But they will have the chance to finish top of Group C when they take on Slovenia at the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne. And Express Sport takes a look at who the 1966 World Cup winners could face in their first knockout game.
If England finish top of Group C
England will finish at the Group C summit with seven points if they defeat Slovenia. They will also claim top spot if they draw and Denmark fail to beat Serbia. If results leave England and Denmark level on points at the end of the evening, the two countries will be separated firstly by goal difference, then by goals scored and finally by disciplinary points.
And Southgate will be desperate for his team to claim top spot as it would mean they face a third-place side from either Group D, Group E or Group F.
Ahead of the final round of group matches, Austria are third in Group D, while the four teams in Group E – Romania, Belgium, Slovakia and Ukraine – are all level on three points. Meanwhile, Czech Republic are currently third in Group F but have the same amount of points as fourth-place Georgia.
The clash would be played on Sunday at Schalke’s Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen and would kick off at 5pm.
If England finish second in Group C
If England succumb to the pressure against Slovenia and finish second in Group C, they will be handed a nightmare last-16 clash against hosts Germany, who won two of their group matches to finish above Switzerland, Hungary and Scotland.
That match would be played on Saturday at Borussia Dortmund’s stadium and would get underway at 8pm.
If England finish third in Group C
If the unthinkable happens against Slovenia and Denmark also secure victory against Serbia, Southgate’s men will be consigned to third position in Group C. And that would result in a last-16 encounter with either Group F winners Portugal or the winners of Group E.
A clash against Portugal would be scheduled for next Monday at 8pm at the Frankfurt Arena, while a match against the Group E winners would go ahead at Bayern Munich’s stadium at 5pm next Tuesday.
Content Source: www.express.co.uk