It might not actually be coming home after all. Unfortunately, Gareth Southgate is incapable of playing attacking football, even against the likes of Serbia – no disrespect to all the Serbians out there. Imagine what will happen when we play a proper team. Clearly, we will metaphorically bend over and beg them not to score too many goals. God forbid we go 1-0 early on.
BUT the Euros is not just about England, and there were two other action-packed games on matchday 3. Here is how it affected our Adidas v Nike Boot Battle.
Weg Saves Netherlands Late On
Netherlands started their opener well, pushing early for a break through. Cody Gakpo looked lively and had an early effort stopped, and Poland looked a little short of firepower with their star man Robert Lewandowski not yet fit to play. But they managed to open the scoring, with Adam Buksa jumping high and heading home from a corner.
That seemed to unsettle the Dutch somewhat as they strived to emulate their early fluency. However, they got a stroke of luck on the half-hour mark. Gakpo drove at the defence and struck a soft effort from the edge of the box. It took a strong deflection and Wojciech Szczęsny could do nothing but see the ball roll into the middle of the goal.
Eventful Second Half
The second half was lively with both sides having their chances. In a group that also contains France and Austria, the games weren’t going to get any easier for either team, so a win would be huge even at this early stage of the tournament.
It was the Netherlands that took the advantage in the game, and the group, as Wout Weghorst capitalised on some more fortune. Nathan Ake’s pass was deflected into his path and he made no mistake, finishing clinically to seal the victory for the Dutch.
Adidas
Weghorst (Goal): 2
Running Total: Adidas 21 – Nike 18
Eriksen Stars for Denmark
Football fans rarely get on. They sing derogatory songs about other fans’ mums, they get into fights and they take sheer pleasure when their rivals are in pain. But when Christian Eriksen latched onto a pass and calmly slotted home, we could all agree that it was a tear-jerking moment that made us feel warm and fuzzy inside. After collapsing on the pitch during a Euro 2020 clash against Finland, the fact that he’s on the pitch, let alone banging in goals for his country is remarkable.
Slovenia Second-Half Comeback
After not creating too much in the first half, the second was a different story, as Slovenia pushed for an equaliser. They came close a couple of times, but none more so that when Benjamin Sesko unleashed a rocket from a good 30 yards out. It struck the post and we were denied what would have been another banger in a tournament that has been littered with CERTIFIED bangers.
But with 13 minutes left, they did get their breakthrough. Erik Janza hit a strike from the edge of the box that was deflected and flew past a helpless Kasper Schmeichel in the Danish net. The Slovenians continued to push for a winner and were by far the better team, but Denmark held out for the draw. In a group containing England and Serbia, a point keeps things finely balanced.
Adidas
Janza (Goal): 3
Nike
Eriksen (Goal): 3 (MOTM): 4
Running Total: Adidas 24 – Nike 22
England Stutter Past Serbia
Sorry for being negative. I’m generally a positive guy. I smile when it rains. I don’t spout profanities when someone cuts me off in traffic. But when it comes to England, my England, a glorious place with a history as deep as the ocean and culture as unique as a cat using a pogo stick. A nation that birthed the beautiful game…it just pains me to know we have Gareth Southgate at the helm.
It started well. Jude Bellingham (JUUUUUDE) towered in with a bullet header that any 2010s Stoke player would have been proud of. After 15 minutes of dominance and one goal to show for it, it was all going well. Kyle Walker then raced through and looked to double the lead, but he could only drag his shot/cross wide.
Serbian Onslaught
We use ‘onslaught’ here as perhaps a little bit of a hyperbole, but to be fair to the Serbians, they came out for the second half looking like a different side. Chances were still at a premium, but their endeavour and fight against (despite my criticism) is still one of the world’s top teams, was admirable.
Dušan Vlahović had their best chance, with his snap-shot from the edge of the area stinging the palms of Jordan Pickford. Harry Kane should have sealed the points for England before that, with substitute Jared Bowen doing some good work down the right. He picked out Kane at the back post with a delicious cross, but the striker failed to convert, with Predrag Rajković turning it onto the bar from barely five yards out.
England held on in a less-than-inspiring win, but on a positive note, we now top the group and look very likely to proceed into the last 16. Improvements needed, but it’s still a clean sheet and a 100% start to the Championships.
Adidas
Bellingham (Goal): 3 (MOTM): 4
Trippier (Clean Sheet): 2
Nike
Stones (Clean Sheet): 2
Walker (Clean Sheet): 2
Guehi (Clean Sheet): 2
Running Total: Adidas 33 – Nike 28
Boot Battle Standings (Adidas 33 Nike 28) – Matchday 3:
Adidas extend their lead after matchday 3 of the Euros. Jude Bellingham was the star, gaining seven points alone for Team Adidas. His goal and MOTM-performance was replicated by Eriksen. Nike was hindered after gaining no points in the day’s opening game, BUT with Kylian Mbappe set to start against Austria tomorrow, things could all change in our Adidas v Nike Boot Battle.
