Slovakia secure qualification but braced for tough last-16 encounter

Slovakia's head coach, Francesco Calzona, is fully prepared for a challenging last-16 clash in EURO 2024, following his team's qualification for the knockout rounds with a 1-1 draw against Romania on Wednesday.

According to Calzona, they are now set to face world-class opponents in the upcoming match, regardless of who they are. He acknowledged that it will undoubtedly be a tough battle.

Stanislav Lobotka, Slovakia's midfielder and the player of the match against Romania, shared the same sentiment.

He acknowledged the difficulty of the upcoming match but expressed their determination to eliminate their opponents.

In the match against Romania, Slovakia took the lead in the first half with a header from Ondrej Duda.

However, Romania managed to equalize through a penalty scored by Razvan Marin before halftime.

Lobotka admitted feeling exhausted but emphasized that success fuels their energy, drawing inspiration from the fans and the stadium.

The challenging weather conditions significantly increased the level of difficulty in the game, according to his statement.

Group E witnessed an unprecedented situation, as all four teams were tied on three points before the final day, where a draw would be enough for both Slovakia and Romania to progress.

Despite the tough conditions, Calzona emphasized the importance of winning the match from the start.

Expressing satisfaction with the team's progress to the last 16, the Italian coach highlighted its significance.

Slovakia is participating in their third consecutive European Championship, having reached the round of 16 in 2016 and exiting at the group stage in the previous edition of the tournament.