By Tom Gott
Well, wasn't that fun?
England put on perhaps their worst showing so far at Euro 2024 and were within seconds of elimination at the hands of Slovakia, only for two late goals to change the trajectory of an entire nation.
Kobbie Mainoo came into the starting lineup as Gareth Southgate's search for the heir to Kalvin Phillips' lawn chair continued, leaving many England fans feeling cautiously optimistic about what they were about to watch.
Spoiler alert: that didn't last long.
Just minutes into the game, a sloppy pass from Kieran Trippier left Marc Guehi lunging to stop a counter, earning himself a yellow card and a one-game suspension in the process.
Things went downhill quickly as Slovakia found themselves deservedly ahead through Ivan Schranz's smart strike.
Guehi and John Stones were lost at sea as the Slovakia's roamed into Jordan Pickford's box and Schranz made no mistake from close range.
It was a bitterly disappointing first half and it seemed almost certain that Southgate would call on his substitutes to change the game. He simply had to, right?
Wrong.
England came out unchanged, with Southgate seemingly convinced this group could turn things around. It almost ended up being a masterstroke from Southgate as Phil Foden, one of the players many fans wanted withdrawn, tapped home from close range five minutes after the restart.
The offside flag did not go up, but a quick VAR check confirmed Foden had drifted.
As England chased an equaliser, makeshift left-back Kieran Trippier went down injured. With Luke Shaw already not fit, Southgate felt a headache coming.
His decision? Bukayo Saka at left-back.
England fans were seething as the clock ticked on but, just as defeat appeared inevitable, up popped Jude Bellingham.
With what was England's first shot on target in the entire game, the Real Madrid superstar rose highest with a stunning overhead kick to send the game to extra time.
Clearly rejuvenated, England came out flying and needed just 52 seconds to head England ahead.
Football, eh?
With England's collective anxiety lifting, the Three Lions held on to seal one of the most memorable victories in recent history.
Next up for England is a date with Switzerland in the quarter-final.
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This article was originally published on 90min.com as X reacts to England bouncing back from brink of Euro 2024 humiliation .
