In an intense Group C encounter at Euro 2024 on Thursday, substitute Luka Jović rescued Serbia with a dramatic late header, equalizing Zan Karnicnik’s earlier goal to secure a 1-1 draw against Slovenia.
This outcome leaves Slovenia needing a win against group favorites England to advance to the next round.
Both teams struck the woodwork and had spells of dominance, creating numerous chances in an end-to-end contest.
The draw leaves Slovenia in second place with two points, trailing leaders England who have three points.
Slovenia will face England in their final group game. Serbia, sitting at the bottom with one point, will next play Denmark, who also have one point and are set to face England later on Thursday.
Dominating the first half at the Munich Football Arena, Slovenia’s Timi Max Elšnik came close to scoring in the 38th minute, hitting the post from inside the box.
The breakthrough came in the 69th minute when Elšnik set up defender Žan Karničnik, who found the net to give Slovenia the lead.
Despite Serbia’s relentless attacks, Slovenia seemed on track for their first European Championship victory.
However, in the final seconds of stoppage time, Luka Jović headed in an equalizer from a corner, dashing Slovenia’s hopes of securing three points.
Goalkeeper Jan Oblak, who made several key saves against Serbian star Aleksandar Mitrović, remained optimistic, “We have played a good match and I hope that we will play the next one even better.”
Reflecting on the game, Karničnik, Slovenia’s lone scorer, noted, “We had the things pretty much under control for most of the match,” but acknowledged the difficulty in clearing the ball with Serbia’s tall players pressing forward near the end.
With two points from their first two matches, following a 1:1 draw with Denmark on Sunday, Slovenia now faces a crucial showdown against England in Cologne next Tuesday, aiming to secure a spot in the knockout stages.
