Gareth Southgate acknowledged it is "hard work" for England so far at Euro 2024, but attempted to focus on the positives despite another underwhelming draw for his side, this time against Slovenia.

The goalless clash in Cologne on Tuesday was enough for the Three Lions to secure top spot in Group C ahead of Denmark, who also drew 0-0 with Serbia.

Southgate's side therefore avoided a last-16 tie against Germany, but struggled once more to find an attacking spark.

The front three of Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden managed just two shots on target between them, while also registering just nine touches in Slovenia's penalty box.

England came under heavy criticism following their 1-1 draw with Denmark last week and there were boos from sections of their supporters following the full-time whistle in this game.

But Southgate insisted his side had performed better in their final group outing. 

"I thought we were much-improved with the ball," he told ITV. "We've created some good openings.

"At the moment, it's hard work for us. We're not quite getting that break in front of goal.

"We've had the discipline to keep a clean sheet, which has ended up meaning we top the group. I understand some reactions, but it's a strange environment we're playing in.

"We wanted to win the game, as you saw from the attacking changes we made. There were lots of things we can build on from the game and a lot of things are starting to come together.

"We looked more dangerous and we had a good impact from our subs. We've now just got to convert those chances."

The Three Lions boss praised the likes of Kobbie Mainoo, Cole Palmer and Anthony Gordon for their displays from the bench, and also explained his decision to replace Conor Gallagher - the sole change to the starting line-up from the Denmark game - at half-time.

"They're really young players, so we're balancing blooding them in a difficult environment, but they used the ball really well for us," he said.

"We started with Conor, who presses well, and I thought we did that better at the start of the game. We then felt Kobbie's ability to move the ball through the middle of the pitch was going to be helpful, which he did.

"I don't think we were going to go from where we were to winning 3-0 or 4-0; it's not realistic in the intensity in the game that we had. But there were a lot of things I was really pleased with."

England now await the identity of their last-16 opponents, which will either be the Netherlands - who finished third in Group D - or the third-placed nation in Group E.

The Euro 2020 finalists have avoided the half of the draw containing the likes of Germany, Spain, Portugal and France.

However, Southgate was quick to sweep aside any suggestions his side have been handed a more straightforward path towards a potentially deep run in the competition.

"We have to take it a step at a time," he added. "This was an improvement, but we've got to improve to win in the next round clearly.

"We have topped the group, and that was the objective at the start.

"We've got to play well and whoever we play, it's going to be a really tough game. We shouldn't be seduced by which half of the draw we're in."

John Stones understands the frustration of England supporters, but firmly believes the Three Lions are on the right track.

England drew 0-0 with Slovenia in Cologne on Tuesday, though with Denmark drawing against Serbia by the same scoreline, Gareth Southgate's team still topped Group C.

That means they avoid a last-16 tie with hosts Germany and find themselves in what appears to be the kinder side of the draw, also evading Portugal, France and Spain.

England had 74% possession and recorded 12 shots, though their expected goals (xG) value of 0.87 shows clear chances were once again at a premium.

Their possession figure is the highest the Three Lions have had in a single match at a major tournament without scoring (since Opta have tracked such data, from 1966 onwards for the World Cup, and 1980 for the Euros).

That being said, England's combined 1.13 xG against through their three matches is the lowest of any team in the tournament, as they continue to impress defensively.

And Stones feels there were clear improvements from the opening two fixtures.

Speaking to ITV Sport, Stones said: "Well, we wanted to win, but the objective was to top the group and we've done that, so I'm extremely pleased.

"It's not always going to be easy, especially not when everyone's got a target on our back to beat us.

"Two clean sheets out of three, a great positive for us to take into the next stage, and there was a lot of improvement from the other two games. We were free-flowing, we found the pockets [of space], created more chances, and I believe it's another step in the right direction.

"I can understand some of the fans' frustration with us not scoring, or not taking chances, that's football."

Stones, who is the only outfield player to have started all 22 matches for England at major tournaments under Southgate, added that the squad will be critical of their own displays, however.

"[We're] very close [to clicking]," he continued.

"We've got to focus on us and what we can control, and be harsh on ourselves about the game, what we could have done better. I do feel we took a step in the right direction. Not the result we wanted but I'm so pleased we top the group.

"We've got to beat whoever is put in front of us. No matter who we play, we've got to believe and step up when it counts."

Captain Harry Kane echoed his team-mate's sentiment.

Kane said: "That was the aim before the start of the tournament. Come top of the group and control our destiny. I thought we played a lot better than the other games. We couldn't just find that finish but we look forward to the next one.

"We created some half chances and there were some that we could maybe have done better.

"These games are tough. We have been here before and stepped it up in the past when we have got to the knockouts. All games in this tournament are tough. It is going to be a difficult challenge ahead and we have enough ability to keep pushing."

England will face either the Netherlands or any of the four teams from Group E in the next round.

Slovenia, meanwhile, will go through as one of the best third-placed sides, with Croatia from Group B officially eliminated as a result of Tuesday's matches.

England finished first in Group C at Euro 2024 but again disappointed during their goalless draw with Slovenia in Cologne on Tuesday.

The Three Lions endured another flat display in front of goal, with Bukayo Saka's ruled out first-half effort the only real moment of quality from Gareth Southgate's side.

An injection of pace from substitute Cole Palmer threatened to spark England into life, but a winning goal eluded them as they finished with just five points from their three group games.  

Despite the draw, England topped Group C following Serbia's goalless draw with Denmark, meaning they avoided a last-16 tie against hosts Germany. Matjaz Kek's side, meanwhile, secured their place in the knockout stages for the first time ever at a major tournament.

With hopes of a fast start from the Three Lions, it was Slovenia who registered the first effort as Benjamin Sesko saw his header comfortably gathered by Jordan Pickford. 

England thought they had taken the lead when Saka rounded off a slick attacking move, only to see what would have been his 12th international goal ruled out for offside.

Kieran Trippier came close to providing the opening goal, but his teasing delivery evaded both Conor Gallagher and Harry Kane inside the Slovenia penalty area. 

The introduction of Kobbie Mainoo for Gallagher at half-time aimed to add some attacking impetus, with his presence instantly sparking the absent pace from the England midfield. 

John Stones almost marked his 75th England appearance with a goal as he saw his header cleared off the line, with Marc Guehi unable to keep the loose ball alive. 

England continued to create a flurry of potential opportunities, with Declan Rice flashing an effort wide of Jan Oblak's goal and substitute Cole Palmer also seeing his effort repelled by Slovenia's number one. 

The result for Southgate's side confirmed Croatia's elimination from the tournament, with the full-time whistle greeted with frustration by the England support as Slovenia celebrated a remarkable achievement.

England yet to dazzle, but get the job done

With the expectations of England's plethora of attacking options possibly being enough to win the tournament on their own, it was yet another underwhelming display. 

A front three of Kane, Saka and Phil Foden managed just two shots on target between them, with the trio also managing just nine touches in Slovenia's penalty box. 

With much of the focus surrounding Jude Bellingham, the Los Blancos star was a shadow of the man who scored 23 goals for Real Madrid this season. 

The 20-year-old completed 86% of his 57 passes, the second-lowest of England's midfield behind Gallagher (85%) and an improvement will be needed regardless of whoever England's last-16 opponents end up being.

Resilient Slovenia get their rewards

Despite failing to win a game at Euro 2024, Slovenia proved difficult opponents for each of Group C's sides and have received their just rewards. 

Slovenia are now undefeated in their last 4 games in the Euros, their longest unbeaten streak in the competition (since at least 1992).

Kek's side can also take pride from maintaining their unbeaten record arriving into the tournament, and have now not tasted defeat in their last nine matches in all competitions (W4 D5), matching the longest ever unbeaten run in their history (9 games between September 2020 and March 2021).

It remains to be seen who awaits Slovenia in the next round, but they can take pride with their sensational achievement on the international stage. 

Denmark booked their place in the last 16 of Euro 2024 as they drew 0-0 with Serbia, who were eliminated.

The Danes went into the last matchday of Group C knowing a victory could see them through as winners, but instead Kasper Hjolmund's team had to settle for second, meaning they will take on hosts Germany on Saturday.

Serbia, on the other hand, needed a win to stand any chance of progressing, but with Novak Djokovic watching on from the stands in Munich, Dragan Stojkovic's could not get over the line.

They had their chances. Luka Jovic had a goal disallowed and Aleksandar Mitrovic, who had two penalty appeals waved away, curled just wide.

Dusan Vlahovic also went close with a late header that looped onto the roof of the net, but the Danes got the job done, despite not winning a match in Group C.

England, who also drew 0-0 with Slovenia in the other game, top the group.

Data Debrief: Serbia's major slump

Serbia are winless in their last eight major tournament matches (drawn two, lost five) since a 1-0 win over Costa Rica at the 2018 World Cup. They last had a winless run as long as this at tournaments between 1974 and 1982 as Yugoslavia (eight games).

Indeed, since winning four consecutive matches between January and June 2023, Serbia have only won four of their 14 games in all competitions (drawn four, lost six) and have kept just two clean sheets during that span.

Liam Livingstone is hopeful England are coming good at the perfect time ahead of their T20 World Cup semi-final against India, having grown into the tournament after a slow start.

The defending champions almost succumbed to a humiliating group-stage exit, with only old rivals Australia keeping them in with a dramatic victory over Scotland.

Having finished second in Group B, Jos Buttler's team did likewise in Group 2 at the Super-8 stage, a resounding victory over the United States sending them through at West Indies' expense. 

England now have a chance to reach their fourth T20 World Cup final and their third in the last four editions, while a third triumph at the tournament would take them clear of the Windies for the outright record. 

All-rounder Livingstone says England have a chance to prove tournaments are not about how you start, but how you finish. 

"In tournament cricket, sometimes it is better to sneak up and nick it at the end," said Livingstone. "Hopefully that is the way we will go. 

"A lot of lads have been contributing in the last few games which should stand us in good stead going forward. We've hopefully got two more massive games."

Livingstone sustained a torso injury while batting against Namibia in the group stage but has shrugged that problem off to play all of England's matches.

He has yet to truly hit top form, taking two wickets and scoring 13 and 33 in his two innings with the bat in the middle order, but he is confident a big finish is coming.

"As a kid I always wanted to be involved, that's the reason I started bowling a few years back," he said.

"So batting at seven and maybe bowling one over, that's where the hard bit comes as you want to be involved.

"Thankfully the last two games I struck the ball well against South Africa and bowled pretty well [against the USA], so I feel I'm in a good place."

Former England strikers Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer have defended their criticism of the Three Lions' "terrible" displays at Euro 2024 after Harry Kane said pundits should be more supportive. 

England have four points ahead of their final Group C fixture against Slovenia, though they were uninspired as they laboured to a 1-0 win over Serbia and a 1-1 draw with Denmark.

Their performance in the latter match was fiercely criticised, with Lineker describing the display as "s***" on his 'The Rest is Football' podcast.

England captain Kane hit back at those comments on Sunday, pointing out ex-players like Lineker failed to win international silverware and telling them to be more "helpful".

On Monday's edition of the podcast, Lineker said of Kane's response: "I thought he answered it fine.

"There was one bit there where he says we have responsibilities as ex-England players, that we should know better and that we never won anything or words to that effect.

"Fine, he's absolutely right. But I will say one thing; the last thing in the world we want to be is downbeat and critical. 

"We want the England team to perform well on the pitch. The best punditry of all is when England play well."

Shearer was also scathing of Gareth Southgate's team after the Denmark game and has refused to back down, saying: "It's important we never get personal. That's the most important thing.

"They were terrible and we have to say that. If England were brilliant we'd say they were brilliant, that's the way it is.

"As a player you always get the right of reply on the pitch. I have no problem with what we said, I wouldn't take anything back we said.

"England were really poor. I think the vast majority of the country, and even the boys in the squad, will know they were awful against Denmark. There were hardly any positives."

Gary Lineker has been at the centre of something of a storm when it comes to England at Euro 2024, and that story was plastered over social media on Monday.

Then, the football took control, with Spain keeping up their winning run and Italy salvaging a draw against Croatia to claim a spot in the last 16.

Here, we unpack the best of the day's social media clips from the tournament in Germany.

Football, eh?

Football... It's crazy! 

With a minute to go, Italy - the holders - were on the brink of a possible exit, with Croatia leading 1-0 in Leipzig.

Yet within 30 seconds, Mattia Zaccagni's maiden Azzurri goal had sent Italy through into the last 16, and it's Croatia who are on the verge of an early departure.

Lineker responds

There was a lot left to be desired following England's performance in their 1-1 draw with Denmark, but it is the post-match criticism that has since drawn the most attention.

In particular, Lineker's comments were brought to the attention of Harry Kane in a recent press conference, with the England captain urging the pundits to support the squad.

With the ball back in Lineker's court, he - along with fellow pundit Alan Shearer - had his say on the ongoing debate.

Ferdinand chips into pundit debate

Rio Ferdinand has done his fair share of punditry, and the former England defender had his say on the Lineker debate.

Ferdinand said the England players shouldn't expect pundits to act as "cheerleaders" when the team aren't performing.

Strike a pose

With qualification for the knockout stages already complete, Portugal do not have to worry about any pressure going into their final match against Georgia.

And while taking some time off during training, Joao Felix decided to try his hand at something a little different.

We may even see some of his photos popping up on Portugal's official X account in the coming days.

A family affair

Among the travelling Spanish fans are a family of nine, who have made a 2000km journey to watch their nation at the tournament.

After finally reaching their destination, they got to meet Ferran Torres, Marc Cucurella and Dani Vivian.

Torres subsequently starred for Spain as La Roja stayed perfect in Group B by beating Albania, with the Barcelona forward scoring the only goal of the game.

French cuisine 

Ever wondered what an international footballer does at lunchtime?

Well, fortunately for you, the French team allowed their social admins into the inner sanctum.

Scholes backs Mainoo for big things

More punditry relating to England, and this time it was Paul Scholes who had his say.

Scholes thinks Kobbie Mainoo, who has had an impressive season with Manchester United, could be the player to pull the strings in midfield for the Three Lions.

Vertonghen sees into the future

Jan Vertonghen is playing in his sixth major tournament for Belgium, and his third Euros.

Sitting down at Belgium's 'The Basecamp', the veteran defender was given a glimpse of what he will look like if he chooses to forgo retirement and keep playing with the help of AI.

While Vertonghen was seemingly happy with the results, Maxim De Cuyper was not so impressed.

The grind never stops

Cristiano Ronaldo will make his 50th appearance at a major tournament the next time he features at Euro 2024.

And even though Portugal are already through, the work on the training field never stops for the 39-year-old...

Gareth Southgate admits he is his own "biggest critic" amid scrutiny of England's performances at Euro 2024 so far.

The Three Lions edged to a 1-0 victory over Serbia in their opener before being held to a 1-1 draw against Denmark.

However, their performances at the tournament so far have drawn a lot of criticism from fans and pundits alike as England have struggled to find their rhythm.

Harry Kane and Jarrod Bowen have already responded to some of those questions, singling out Gary Lineker's comments on the team, but Southgate remains calm amid the outside noise, saying he finds it easier to ignore ahead of their meeting with Slovenia on Tuesday.

"I'm oblivious to it [criticism from pundits]," Southgate said. "It's not important to me. What's important to me is guiding this group of players through the tournament.

"We're a high-profile team with expectations, and I'm very comfortable living that life.

"I don't need to engage in the external, I'm my own biggest critic. The players are the same. There's nothing to be gained.

"We're brutally honest about what we need to do better - that's how you coach a team and how you improve."

"The mood is very good. We know that there will always be external noise, but it shouldn't affect us. What is important is the internal. Performance is what we're focussing on.

"Of course, we want to hit a different level. There has been an honest appraisal of what we've done and how we need to be better. There are some fundamentals of how we play as a team, that we need to get back to."

Southgate has also faced injury problems among defenders in the build up to the tournament, though it looked like some of those worries could be assuaged as Luke Shaw returned to training on Monday.

The manager has ruled him out of their game against Slovenia on Tuesday and says he is particularly happy with what he has seen defensively from his side so far.

"The game before the tournament against Iceland we were a little bit open, so we were trying to find the right balance of being aggressive, but also perfect defensively," he added. "It's an important part of tournaments, you've got to defend well.

"Our penalty box defending has been good, but we haven't used the ball well enough. We want some turnovers higher up the pitch. But the defending of our box has been first-class!"

Scott Barrett has been named as New Zealand's new captain for their upcoming Tests against England and Fiji by new coach Scott Robertson.

He takes over from Sam Cane, who is retiring from international rugby at the end of the year and was not considered for the role due to injury.

Since making his international debut for the All Blacks against Ireland in November 2016, Barrett has earned 69 caps for his country.

Barrett will have reigning Player of the Year Ardie Savea, and brother Jordie as his vice-captains.

Speaking after the announcement was made, Barrett said: "When you think of the leaders who have gone before you, it's quite humbling to be asked to captain the All Blacks, so it's not something I took lightly," said Barrett.

"It's a big responsibility, but I have two great leaders beside me in Ardie and Jordie."

Robertson has named five uncapped players in his first squad, with Wallace Sititi earning his first call-up after an impressive season for Waikato Chiefs.

Scrum-half Cortez Ratima, hooker George Bell, prop Pasilio Tosi and centre Billy Proctor are the other uncapped players named in the 32-man squad.

Robertson, who took over after Ian Foster left the role following last year's World Cup final defeat to South Africa, coached Barrett for seven years at the Crusaders and is looking forward to regaining that connection.

"There are some great leaders in our group, but having that existing connection to Scott was important," said Robertson.

"He's tactically astute, he leads from the front, and he’s got the respect of the players and coaches.

"As a coaching group, we are excited about the squad we've selected. We know it's a group that can play the style of rugby we want the All Blacks to play in 2024."

The All Blacks will face England in Dunedin on July 6, and the following week in Auckland, before playing Fiji in San Diego on July 20.

Full New Zealand squad: Asafo Aumua, Codie Taylor, George Bell, Ethan De Groot, Tyrel Lomax, Fletcher Newell, Pasilio Tosi, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Tamaiti Williams, Scott Barrett (c), Tupou Vaa’i, Patrick Tuipulotu, Ethan Blackadder, Samipeni Finau, Luke Jacobson, Dalton Papali'i, Ardie Savea, Wallace Sititi, Finlay Christie, TJ Perenara, Cortez Ratima, Beauden Barrett, Damian McKenzie, Jordie Barrett, Rieko Ioane, Anton Lienert-Brown, Billy Proctor, Caleb Clarke, Emoni Narawa, Stephen Perofeta, Sevu Reece, Mark Tele'a.

Adil Rashid lauded the match-winning abilities of Chris Jordan and Jos Buttler after England secured their T20 World Cup semi-final spot on Sunday.

England smashed the United States with a 10-wicket victory as Buttler powered an eye-catching 83, smashing six fours and seven sixes from just 38 balls.

Matthew Mott's white-ball side reached their 116-run target with a huge 62 deliveries to spare, sealing their place in the last four with ease after only just sneaking into the Super 8s phase.

Yet the convincing victory would not have been possible without Jordan, who managed four wickets from five balls – including a hat-trick – to end the USA's innings inside 19 overs.

Rashid, who also took 2-13 from his four-over spell, lavished praise on the England bowler, as well as captain Buttler.

"CJ's a match-winner," Rashid said in his post-match interview. "He's been doing it for a number of years, especially at the back end.

"Jos is a world-class player and has been for many a year, and hopefully we can carry it on now in the semi-finals."

Rashid was keen to share the credit among the entire England line-up, too.

"All the bowlers bowled extremely well and to restrict them to 115 was very pleasing," the leg-spinner added. "Always nice to keep it tight and get an early wicket which brings the new batter in.

"With the wind, you have to assess which end you're going to bowl. The googly's been coming out nicely, too."

Buttler seemed intent on a one-man demolition in England's chase, crunching the United States all over the pitch, including hammering 30 runs off Harmeet Singh's ninth over.

"I thought if we could bring our intensity we'd be too good," Buttler said. "I'm still one of the 11, I've got to do my job."

"We've got great options. We wanted to bring Chris Jordan back, adding a bit of depth with his batting capabilities as well. A World Cup hat-trick is a great effort."

The USA saw their World Cup run come to an end, but their victory over Pakistan will live long in the memory.

Aaron Jones, the star of the USA for much of the tournament, hopes to have put cricket on the American map.

"This is our first World Cup," he said. "I don't think people would have thought we'd be playing here against the big boys.

"Hopefully this will open the eyes of the American public. We've got a lot of calls and messages of support during this World Cup."

England booked their place in the T20 World Cup semi-finals after sauntering to a 10-wicket thrashing of the United States on Sunday.

Chris Jordan excelled at the end of the USA's innings, taking a hat-trick to finish with remarkable figures of 4-10, while Jos Buttler plundered 83 off 38 balls to see England over the line with 62 deliveries to spare.

Reece Topley, who failed to take a single wicket in the defeat to South Africa, set the tone early on as he snared Andries Gous for eight in the first over.

Though Nitish Kumar (30) and Corey Anderson (29) looked to be finding a rhythm for the tournament co-hosts, it did not last long, with Jordan entering the fray to get four wickets in five balls and bowl the USA out for just 115 in 18.5 overs.

England’s openers got all the work done themselves as Phil Salt scored 25, while Buttler did all the heavy lifting in his knock, smashing six fours and seven sixes, one of which hit the stadium roof.

Matthew Mott's side are the first team through to the last four thanks to their significant net run-rate advantage over West Indies and South Africa, who meet later on Sunday.

Data Debrief: Firing on all cylinders

Jordan became the eighth player to take a hat-trick of wickets at the T20 World Cup, but he also broke a record out in the field; he now has the most catches by a fielder (47) in T20Is for England, overtaking Eoin Morgan's 46.

Buttler got his first half-century of the tournament in this match, and scored 32 of his 83 runs in a single over, scoring five sixes in the ninth before getting another at the start of the 10th to seal the win for England.

Saturday's Euro 2024 action was headlined by some of the game's biggest stars, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Kevin De Bruyne grabbing the attention.

Ronaldo recorded his record-breaking seventh Euros assist – and was inundated with requests for photos from pitch invaders – as Portugal clinched top spot in Group F with a 3-0 win over Turkiye.

De Bruyne then joined Youri Tielemans on the scoresheet as Belgium beat Romania 2-0, teeing up a tense finale in Group E.

Georgia and Czechia, meanwhile, played out an entertaining 1-1 draw in Hamburg, leaving both teams needing a victory on the final matchday to have any chance of advancing.

But what else was going on around Euro 2024? Here, we run through the best social media posts of the day.

Eze and Konsa pool together

England's social media accounts have been a trove of entertaining content throughout this tournament, and on Saturday's edition of their Lions' Den livestream, Eberechi Eze and Ezri Konsa took centre-stage.

Eze and Konsa took on the 'what a clearance' challenge, looking to clear a pool table as quickly as possible as a pairing.

A respectable score put them third on the leaderboard, but they were unable to match the top two pairings – Declan Rice and Ivan Toney, and Jarrod Bowen and Marc Guehi.

Kante shows off

France's goalless draw with the Netherlands on Friday may not have been a game for the neutrals, but we were at least treated to another tireless display from N'Golo Kane.

Even at the age of 33 and after a season in the Saudi Pro League, Kante remains one of the game's top box-to-box midfielders, covering every blade of grass against the Oranje.

On Saturday, France's official X account proved once and for all that a year out of the European game has not affected Kante's physique… 

It's fair to say he remains in tip-top condition.

Cologne turns yellow for Romania

A sizeable contingent of Romanian fans made their opening game at Euro 2024 a real spectacle, forming a wall of yellow in Munich as they crushed Ukraine 3-0.

On Saturday, they headed to Cologne for their second match against Belgium, which ended in defeat despite a spirited performance.

The highlight of the day for many supporters will surely have been the pre-match scenes, as they turned the historic city centre yellow.

Ronaldo's pride as Portugal progress

Portugal's game against Turkiye was interrupted on several occasions as pitch invaders attempted to grab a photograph with one of the world's most famous players.

Ronaldo had already made his mark on the pitch with an assist for former Manchester United team-mate Bruno Fernandes, as the Selecao demonstrated their credentials with a 3-0 victory.

After the game, he took to social media to share a few snaps of his own, as well as some words of congratulations for his Portugal team-mates.

Scotland savour the view

Scotland's Euro 2024 adventure could come to an end on Sunday, with Steve Clarke's men requiring a victory over Hungary to have a chance of reaching the last 16.

If they are sent packing after this weekend, they will definitely miss the scenic views at their Garmisch-Partenkirchen base camp.

They will be hoping Saturday's training session was not their last set to this jaw-dropping mountain vista. 

Like a fine wine

Portugal's victory over Turkiye featured another composed performance from 41-year-old centre-back Pepe.

The former Real Madrid man displayed his excellent reading of the game to cut out one menacing counterattack from Turkiye with the score at 1-0 and was generally excellent throughout.

Pepe may be no slouch, but we're pretty sure UEFA have done him a favour with this picture… 

Harry Brook says England are out to give the United States "a good battering" in Sunday's T20 World Cup contest as they bid to clinch a place in the last four.

Having beaten West Indies and lost to South Africa thus far in the Super 8s, England can all but secure a semi-final berth with a convincing win over the co-hosts in Barbados.

A good run-rate could prove pivotal in Group 2, where there is a chance of England, South Africa and West Indies all finishing on four points.

With that in mind, Brook has backed Jos Buttler's team to go on the offensive, saying: "We've got to win and then obviously see how we are on net run-rate but the main thing is to definitely get that win.

"We've played in Barbados quite a lot in the past six months so we know the conditions, we know the wind and the pitch as well so hopefully we can go out there and give them a good battering.

"I haven't actually seen them play, just a few highlights here and there of their bowlers, but we'll do our analysis and have a proper look to make sure we're ready for the game."

Net run-rate was the only thing that helped England survive the group stage, as they narrowly edged out Scotland to finish second behind Australia.

"We've been there before," Brook added. "We've got to concentrate on winning it first and then we'll have a chat and see what the run-rate says."

West Indies all-rounder Roston Chase believes it is his country's destiny to win the T20 World Cup following their nine-wicket victory over fellow co-hosts the United States.

The 32-year-old took 3-19 as the USA were bowled out for 128, with Shai Hope hitting an unbeaten 82 from 39 balls as the Windies leapfrogged England in the race for the semi-finals. 

"It is our destiny and our goal to win this World Cup," Chase said after the victory. "We want teams to know they have to beat us to win this World Cup."

Rovman Powell's side equalled the record for the West Indies' most wins in a single calendar year (W9 in 2021) in T20Is, and face South Africa in Antigua next Monday. 

The triumph continued their impressive T20 record at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, and they have now won five of their previous seven T20Is at the venue. 

The last and only previous time they won more consecutive games in Barbados was a four-game streak from May 2010 to March 2014, which has got the West Indies believing they can claim a third title. 

"It's very special," captain Powell said. "Kensington brings special memories for us. We had no better opportunity to come out and play some good cricket."

The USA still holds on to the hopes of qualifying for the competition's semi-finals but knows their hopes of progression lie elsewhere. 

Having lost their opening Super 8 fixture to South Africa, they will be hoping the Proteas can do them a favour in defeating the West Indies but would need a comprehensive victory of their own against current champions England. 

"We lost wickets in clusters," captain Aaron Jones said. "I don't think we ever truly recovered from that. It was bad in the middle.

"We'll go back to the drawing board and come back hard against England on Sunday."

England are "desperate" to win Euro 2024, but Declan Rice feels the Three Lions "put too much pressure on ourselves".

Gareth Southgate and his team have faced plenty of scrutiny in the media following unconvincing displays in their matches so far.

England beat Serbia 1-0 in their Group C opener before drawing 1-1 with Denmark on Thursday.

While they sit in pole position to progress as group winners ahead of facing Slovenia, England – particularly in attack – do not look up to the standard of some of the other teams to have impressed so far at the tournament.

But Rice believes adding extra pressure does not help.

He said: "We are all so desperate to win, to be leaders, to go out there and give people memories for lifetimes and sometimes I maybe feel like we put too much pressure on ourselves where we could just go out there and let it just take care of ourselves.

"We know we can be better in and out of possession and there is lots to improve on, which is a positive in a way.

"I think there is probably more pressure now from the outside just because of the seasons some of our players have had.

"If you look at the goals that our front four have scored this year, it’s over 100 between them. Of course, there is expectation because they are the best players in the world. And that goes for everyone throughout the team.

"There's going to be that pressure. This is England [at] a major tournament. But this is our job and this is what we have to deal with."

England's questionable displays have seen them drop from being Euro 2024 favourites, at least according to Opta's supercomputer, to the third-most likely team to win the tournament, behind France and hosts Germany.

England round out their Group C campaign against Slovenia on Tuesday.