Did you know that England has won all 10 matches they have played In the qualifiers? Or that they have conceded three goals the entire round, 1 of them being an own goal? The Three Lions – as the side’s affectionately known by their fans have qualified for the 2016 edition of Euro’s as Winners of Group E, comfortably securing their place with 30 points or 9 points above 2nd place Switzerland! Here are 5 things you should know about England Before Euros 2016:
1) How Did They Qualify?
England secured their place in the finals with one of the most convincing runs so far, winning all 10 games and scoring 31 goals in the process. The side that scored almost 3 goals a game at an average conceded just 3, all against Slovenia, one of them being an own goal. They finished with the highest goal difference in the qualifiers +29 goals!
2) Closest To Glory
The 1996 edition of euros will definitely be the closest the side has come to the trophy. The Three Lions found themselves in semi’s 2 times, losing to Yugoslavia 1 – 0 (1968) and losing to Germany on Penalties (1996). Alan Shearer gave them an early lead against Germany in the 3rd minute but Germany equalised in the first half itself. The match went on to extra time then penalties which England lost 5 – 6 in sudden death thanks to a Gareth Southgate miss!
- 1996 squad with Gary Neville and Alan Shearer
3) Road To Qualifiers
The Three Lions did well to begin their tournament with a win and continued their momentum to register 10 wins in a row during the qualifiers. The closest they came to defeat was against Slovenia. Slovenia scored in the first half but a Jack Wilshere double gave England the lead. Nejc Pecnik scored in the 84th minute and when all seemed to be going Slovenia’s way captain fantastic Wayne Rooney scored to give them a 3 – 2 win!
4) Key Players To Look Out For:
Captain Wayne Rooney has been their star this competition as he has managed to score 7 goals, Danny Welbeck is a close second, scoring 6! Joe Hart has done well between the sticks and the likes of Jamie Vardy and Dele Alli seem to be in great form!
5) Chances To Qualify For The Next Round?
Great. Wales and Russia will provide them with competition whereas their match against Slovenia should guarantee them 3 points. England definitely are the favourites in this group and given their current form, one shouldn’t be surprised if they top the group registering 3 wins!
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