With Wayne Rooney banished to the bench, Gareth Southgate’s England played out a disappointing goalless away to Slovenia on Tuesday night.
Indeed, it was a series of Joe Hart heroics that ended up saving the Three Lions from an even worse result.
Hart, on loan with Torino after being usurped by Pep Guardiola fave Claudio Bravo at Manchester City, had to be at his very best to keep out the hosts.
The City man twice thwarted Josip Ilicic as England struggled against a sharp Slovenian side.
However, Hart’s best save came from a Jasmin Kurtic header just after the break, with the England ‘keeper turning the effort onto the crossbar before pushing the ball away…
That world-class save from Joe Hart tonight 👏🏼 #SLOENG #ThreeLions (via @itvfootball) https://t.co/eejrGEYGa3
— Rebecca Louise Coles (@Rebecca_L_Coles) October 11, 2016
Just in case you missed it, here’s THAT save from Joe Hart again pic.twitter.com/IFOE2efLUf (via @kirancmoodley)
— The Offside Rule (@OffsideRulePod) October 11, 2016
Southgate’s men did have a few chances to win the game in the second-half, with the Manchester United pair of sub Wayne Rooney and Jesse Lingard both going close.
However, overall the display from the visitors merited nothing more than a point, if even that, with the likes of Daniel Sturridge and Theo Walcott poor throughout.
Here’s the “highlights”…
(Highlights: Footytube)