COLOGNE.- England advanced to the round of 16 of Euro 2024 as first in Group C after drawing 0-0 against Slovenia on Tuesday.
The result at the Cologne Stadium also saw Slovenia reach the last 16, while Croatia were eliminated.
In a game of few chances, England substitute Cole Palmer missed the chance to secure the win in stoppage time. His shot was saved by Slovenian goalkeeper Jan Oblak.
England were already assured of qualification. Topping the group means they will play one of the third-placed teams in the next round. They are on the opposite side of the draw from Spain, France, Germany and Portugal.
However, there was another lackluster performance by a team that came into the tournament as one of the favorites to be crowned continental monarch.
Gareth Southgate and his team have faced harsh criticism despite sealing their passage before the last date.
The performance against Denmark was so uninspiring that former captain and now BBC presenter Gary Lineker used a swear word to describe it in a harsh comment.
Far from expected:
Once again, the English looked short of ideas and could have been at a disadvantage early on, when Benjamin Sesko was free inside the area to head home. His header lacked power and direction, so he was saved without problems by goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
Bukayo Saka had a first-half goal ruled out for offside and Palmer came close late on, but England rarely looked close to victory.
France drew 1-1 with Poland to finish second in Group D behind Austria, who beat the Netherlands 3-2.
Kylian Mbappé wore a protective mask after breaking his nose in the tournament opener against Austria and scored from the penalty spot. Robert Lewandowski also scored from the spot to give already-eliminated Poland their first point of the tournament.
