England star Jude Bellingham scored the most important goal of his Three Lions career after his acrobatic attempt saved Gareth Southgate’s blushes. They looked set to be headed for a harrowing Round of 16 elimination after Ivan Schranz’s first-half opener.
The pre-tournament favourites toiled against the nation ranked 45th by FIFA and didn’t register their first shot on target until the Real Madrid midfielder’s leveller deep into second-half stoppage time. Switzerland await in the quarter-finals after stunning Italy in Berlin this weekend, and England, despite their previous faint hopes, will be hoping to book their place in next Saturday’s quarter-final in Dusseldorf.
In additional time, Bellingham left Martin Dubravka rooted to the spot with an overhead kick. As he wheeled off, chased by his teammates and swarmed by the jubilant substitutes, he mouthed: “Who else?” to the crowd.
Immediately after the restart, England were in front, as captain Harry Kane headed home after Ivan Toney’s assist. Pressure had been mounting on the 53-year-old prior to the knockout encounter after a disappointing group stage showing that included two draws against Denmark and Slovenia.
Southgate cast doubts over his future in the build-up after fans vented their frustrations at the showings. He said: “Our world is different at the moment, and I feel that is probably because of me.
“I’m not going to change that, so it’s pointless me spending energy (on it). But I’m not going to back away from it. I understand the feeling towards me, but I want the fans to back the players.”
READ MORE: Chelsea’s dream subs bench as Enzo Maresca targets flurry of reinforcements
READ MORE: Tottenham make Archie Gray transfer move after Leeds reject £40m Brentford offer in late twist
Ahead of the tournament, Southgate admitted he could be forced to step down from his role should they fail to win the championships. “If we don’t win, I probably won’t be here any more,” he told the German newspaper Bild.
“So maybe it is the last chance. I think around half the national coaches leave after a tournament — that’s the nature of international football. I’ve been here almost eight years now and we’ve come close.
“You can’t constantly put yourself in front of the public and say, ‘A little more please’, as at some point people lose faith. If we want to be a great team and I want to be a top coach, you must deliver in big moments.”