Euro 2024: ‘Not a favourable side of the draw’ - Marc Guehi dismisses notion England have easy route to final
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
Published 27/06/2024 at 15:55 GMT
England will face Slovakia in the last 16 at Euro 2024 after unconvincingly topping their group with one win and two draws. The Three Lions have ended up on the better side of the draw, as they are sure to avoid giants like France, Germany and Spain until the final, but defender Marc Guehi insists “there is no favourable side”. The knockout games begin on Saturday.
Southgate 'won't back away' from England fans' criticism
England defender Marc Guehi insists “there is not a favourable side” to the Euro 2024 draw ahead of the knockout stages kicking off this weekend.
Gareth Southgate’s side face Slovakia, ranked 45th by FIFA, in the last 16 on Sunday in Gelsenkirchen.
Should they win, they will take on either Switzerland or defending champions Italy, while Austria, Turkey, Netherlands or Romania are potential semi-final opponents.
In contrast, several tournament favourites such as Germany, France, Belgium, Spain and Portugal are on the other side of the draw and cannot face England until the final.
“I think everyone has seen in this competition that there is not a favourable side of the draw,” Guehi said in his press conference.
“Every team, every opponent, is really tough to come up against. I think we need to remain calm.
"We have put pressure on ourselves, but we are calm and focused, and we need to continue to focus on one thing at a time.
"I think what builds confidence is togetherness, performances, the fact that we haven’t lost a game yet, which is really important.
"All the other things you can’t really control. I think it’s important we just control what we can control and that’s remaining focused and dealing with whatever obstacles are put in front of us."
There was an element of fortune to England’s draw, as they were set to face world No. 7 side Netherlands until Georgia produced a shock final-day win over Portugal that instead set up a tie with Slovakia.
However, the Euro 2020 runners-up have failed to impress so far in Germany, winning one of their three group games and coming in for criticism following drab draws with Denmark and Slovenia.
Slovakia, coached by former Napoli boss Francesco Calzona, qualified from Group E as one of the best third-placed teams and stunned world No. 3 side Belgium 1-0 in their opening game.
“We haven’t done any team analysis on them yet, but we all watch the games and know they are a very good side,” Guehi said.
“Coming out of the group in third, I think. They’ve got some really good players in the team, [Stanislav] Lobotka being one from Napoli. A lot of good players.
“It will be another tough match, tough opponent to deal with. But it’s important we just have to be ready for those challenges and match whatever intensity they bring.”
Manager Southgate led England to the final of the Euros three years ago, as well as to a World Cup semi-final in 2018 and quarter-final in 2022.
But he has come under pressure at Euro 2024 after a string of uninspiring displays from a group of players coming off strong seasons at club level.
Guehi leapt to the defence of his manager and insists that the atmosphere inside the England camp remains upbeat.
“He [Southgate] has been fantastic,” said the Crystal Palace man. “If you look at his record, it speaks for itself.
"Everyone is behind the manager, that is for sure. We have got a really close, tight-knit group focused on the next game.
“Everyone is appreciative of him but especially me, giving me my debut for England and showing so much confidence in me. I am really grateful and I am sure the rest of the team is."
discovery+ is the streaming home of the Olympic Games, and the only place you can watch every moment of Paris 2024 this summer.
Scan me
Share this article