England captain Harry Kane, who has scored six goals in his last six knockout games, was asked in a news conference ahead of the match if there is a palpable internal shift once elimination threatens.
“Naturally, you get physically stronger and you get sharper as you play more games,” said Kane, who scored in the team’s 1-1 draw with Denmark. “Not just for me, but a lot of the players come into their peak sharpness at the knockout stage.
“This is knockout football now. These tournaments come round quickly and they go quickly. We are going to need a big performance. Less talking now, it’s time to show what we can do.”
England are expecting a tough challenge from Slovakia, who advanced as one of the best third-placed teams.
“They have some great players,” Kane said. “They like to press high and make it difficult for the opponent. It’s going to be a tough game. We are expecting a physical team with a lot of quality.”