Good evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole on another big day of Euro 2016 action as Group B comes to its conclusion. Slovakia take on England with all four teams in the group still able to make it through to the last 16, so there is plenty riding on both this result and the match between Russia and Wales in Toulouse. Before we get into all that, though, let's take a look at the team news for this match...

SLOVAKIA STARTING XI: Kozáčik; Hubočan, Pekarík, Ďurica, Škrtel; Kucka, Pečovský, Hamšík, Weiss, Mak; Duda

ENGLAND STARTING XI: Hart; Clyne, Cahill, Smalling, Bertrand; Dier, Henderson, Wilshere, Lallana; Sturridge, Vardy

What can we make of those two teams, then? Well, as far as Slovakia are concerned, manager Jan Kozak has opted to name an unchanged side to the one that beat Russia in their last outing, which was largely what we expected from him. That team does, however, include five players who are just one yellow card away from a suspension should they make it through to the last 16, with another one on the bench too. They will have to watch their discipline today!

Mak and Weiss are two of those players, and both have been important parts of the Slovakian side at Euro 2016 so far alongside Hamsik. That trio really can cause problems going forward, particularly against an England defence which has been questioned of late. Between the three of them they have been involved in 20 of Slovakia's last 22 shots on goal, either as the shot taker or the assist provider, so stopping them will go a long way towards stopping Slovakia's attacking threat.

It is Hamsik who is the main dangerman for Slovakia, though, and England will have to keep a particularly close eye on the attacking midfielder this afternoon. He has been one of the standout performers of the tournament so far, being directly involved in four goals in his last three competitive outings for his country (scored three, assisted one). His form hasn't come as much of a surprise given he was touted as Slovakia's star player ahead of the Euros, but he has lived up to expectations so far and if he is on form again tonight then it could go a long way towards helping Slovakia progress.

The other three starters who are on yellow cards, alongside Mak and Weiss, are Kucka, Skrtel and Durica, all of whom play in positions with a greater risk of being penalised, particularly with some of the pace in England's attack today. Skrtel will be very well known to the England squad, particularly his five Liverpool teammates in them, and he will come directly up against Sturridge tonight. Which one of them that knowledge will favour remains to be seen, though.

It is England's team news that will make all the headlines, though, with Hodgson making six changes to his side. Reports earlier today suggested that he would do just that, and it is a risky ploy from the England boss. On the one hand, it could showcase England's strength in depth, but should they fail to get the job done this evening then serious questions will be asked of Hodgson and you'd have to say that he will probably fall on his own sword should that happen. However, he has made a number of bi calls in his England career so far and does the same again tonight.

In truth, it is no surprise to see Jamie Vardy and Daniel Sturridge leading the line after both scored having come on as half-time subs against Wales, swinging the game and the group in England's favour. Interestingly, England substitutes had scored just four goals in 90 previous matches at major tournaments before that double, so while questions have been raised of Hodgson's decision to rest a few players for tonight's game, you have to praise his subs against Wales as they most certainly worked.

There is no place for Kane in the side as a result of those two coming in, with the Tottenham man having disappointed at the tournament so far. His club teammate Dele Alli also drops out, while Raheem Sterling is on the bench too having failed to perform in England's opening games. The biggest exclusion is Wayne Rooney, though, with the skipper having proved his continued worth to the England team with good performances in a central midfield position. Should he come on today then he would equal Steven Gerrard's tally of 114 caps for his country - just one behind David Beckham's record for an outfield player - while it would also be his 20th appearance at a major tournament - a tally only Gerrard and Ashley Cole (both 22) can beat.

Pre-match tournament doubts Jordan Henderson and Jack Wilshere are two of the players to come in, while full-backs Nathaniel Clyne and Ryan Bertrand also replace Walker and Rose. That means that there are four Liverpool representatives in the side tonight to come up against Skrtel, while no other team has more than one. Cahill is the only player on a yellow card for England so, like the Slovakian contingent, he will need to watch his step.

Of course, avoiding yellow cards would be a bonus for the Slovakian players tonight, but it will be fairly far down their priority list. The top of that will be simply getting through to the last 16, and they may well have one eye on the Welsh result to see what they would need to do so automatically. Slovakia would finish top of the group with a win if Wales fail to beat Russia, and would definitely finish above the Welsh if they better Chris Coleman side's result.

However, defeat would make things very tough for Jan Kozak's side, and the manager has hinted in the build-up that he will look to play a tight game against England as a result. A draw would probably be an adequate result even if it only gets them into third place, with four points likely to be enough. Three points may not be, though, so if they game remains a close one going into the closing stages, don't expect Slovakia to take many risks going forward.

A win tonight is certainly not out of the question for Slovakia, though, and they come into the match in good form. They have only lost one of their last 10 games since October of last year, with that coming against Wales in their opening match of this tournament. Most impressively, and most worryingly for England tonight, they also beat world champions Germany in Berlin during their warm-up matches for this summer, although that game was played in torrential conditions.

Despite those conditions, it was a memorable result for Slovakia and shows exactly what they can be capable of on their day. They also showed that during qualifying for this tournament with a win over Spain, and they actually led the reigning European champions for much of the groups. They won their first six qualifying games, but then tailed off a little with one win, one draw and two defeats in their final four games to finish five points behind Spain.

They have, of course, also picked up a win already in France, bouncing back from a 2-1 defeat in their opening game against Wales to beat Russia by the same scoreline on Wednesday. Weiss and Hamsik were on the scoresheet in Lille for that one, before Glushakov pulled one back with 10 minutes left for the Russians. Slovakia were forced to weather a bit of a late storm to pick up the victory, but still managed to claim their first Euros win as an independent nation.

This is their first appearance at a European Championships as an independent nation, but they actually have quite a rich history in the competition as part of Czechoslovakia. They appeared in three tournaments during that era, finishing third in 1960 and 1980 and winning it in 1976 when eight of the 11 starters in the final victory over West Germany hailed from Slovakia itself.

Since the split to become an independent nation, though, they can not match that at major tournaments and they haven't ever managed to keep a clean sheet on such a stage from six previous. Worryingly as well, considering they would be content with a draw tonight, only one of those six previous matches has finished all square, against New Zealand in the 2010 World Cup. They have a decent record away from home over the last couple of years, though, winning six of their last nine games including that triumph over Germany.

It will certainly not be straightforward for England tonight, then, but there is no doubting that they come into the match as overwhelming favourites to not only progress, but also win Group B. Any slip-ups would open the door for Wales - or both Wales and Slovakia - but a draw will be enough to guarantee their place in the last 16, which is the minimum requirement from tonight. A draw would also be enough for them to top the group should Wales fail to beat Russia.

They could still finish as low as third if they lose and Wales beat Russia, but as previously mentioned, their current tally could well be enough to see them through anyway. They will be desperate to secure top spot, though, as that will give them a favoured draw for the last 16, taking on one of the third-placed teams. The location of that match could also play a part, with England due to play at the Parc des Princes in Paris, just 34 miles from their base in Chantilly, if they top the group.

It is perhaps strange that Hodgson has chosen this game to alter this team fairly drastically, then, but in terms of performances at this tournament you'd have to say that only Rooney would be guaranteed a spot in the starting XI in a full-strength side who misses out tonight. Walker has also impressed, but there is little to pick between him and Clyne, while the same applies on the both side between Rose and Bertrand. Sturridge and Vardy have both earned their chance to start, while Alli hasn't quite performed at the level he did for Spurs all season.

One thing that Hodgson will be looking for tonight is more of a clinical edge in front of goal. England have fired 35 shots in during their opening two games - 21 more than Slovakia - but they have scored the same amount of goals as their opponents. Had they taken their chances against Russia in the opening match then they would be virtually assured of their place in the last 16 already, and if they are to go far in this competition then their finishing does need to improve. The inclusion of Jamie Vardy - England's top scorer in 2016 with four goals in five games - could well help that.

England's attack is widely regarded as their main strength, though, with Hodgson admitting in the build-up to the tournament that their best chance of success would be to get on the front foot. At the other end of the field, they only conceded three goals throughout qualifying but have kept just one clean sheet in their last seven outings - during the 1-0 warm-up win over Portugal.

They come into tonight's match unbeaten in their last five outings and only failing to win one of those - in that opening draw against Russia. They left it late to overcome Wales on Thursday, doing so in dramatic fashion in the end, but that extended the run since their World Cup exit to 18 wins and only two defeats from their last 23 outings. One of those defeats came against the might of Spain too, while the most recent was at home to Netherlands in March.

England's record in European Championship matches is generally fairly good too, until it comes to a penalty shootout at least. They haven't been beaten in the finals in normal time since the opening match of Euro 2004, when Zinedine Zidane's late brace broke their hearts, going out on penalties to Portugal that year and Italy in 2012, while they failed to reach Euro 2008. Their qualifying defeat to Croatia in their final match to reach Euro 2008 was actually their last loss inside 90 or 120 minutes in either the tournament itself or qualifying too, going 24 matches without a Euros defeat.

PREDICTION: Right, we're 10 minutes away from kickoff in Saint-Etienne, which means that it is time for a prediction! Slovakia will not make themselves easy to break down today, but with that attacking trident at their disposal it is unlikely they will simply park the bus too. There have been plenty of 2-1 results at this tournament so far, particularly in this group, and I'm going back another one of those scorelines in England's favour today.

Such a result would continue England's 100% record against Slovakia, with the Three Lions having won all three of their previous meetings. The last of those came in a 2009 friendly at Wembley, when Rooney scored twice while Heskey and Lampard were also on the scoresheet in a convincing 4-0 victory. That match was also notable for David Beckham winning his 109th cap, overtaking Bobby Moore as the most-capped outfield player in England history.

Beckham and Rooney were also on the teamsheet when these two played in qualifying for Euro 2004. England won both of those matches 2-1, with Michael Owen scoring three goals over the two meetings. It may be that England are forced to wait for a breakthrough today, though, as seven of their previous eight goals against Slovakia have come after the 60th minute.

Beckham is getting a lot of airtime in this section of the build-up, but he won't have fond memories of this stadium. England have played here just one before, in their infamous World Cup last-16 clash with Argentina in 1998. The match finished as a 2-2 draw before England lost 4-3 on penalties, but despite a Michael Owen wonder goal it is perhaps most famous for Beckham's kick out at Diego Simeone, leading to a red card and subsequent national witch hunt for the then-Manchester United man.

Right, we're just about ready to go in Saint-Etienne! The anthems have been sung, the handshakes have been completed and we're just minutes away from kickoff. It is a huge match for both sides!

KICKOFF: And we're off! England get us underway in Saint-Etienne!

The stadium is dominated by England fans here in Saint-Etienne, and they are making their voices heard at the moment. Great atmosphere inside the Stade Geoffroy Guichard!

SHOT! England have started on the front foot here and they have the first effort of the game too. Clyne beats his man on the outside and zips a cross into the middle which Vardy steers towards goal with his knee. It flashes past the near post, but Vardy looked sharp there.

SHOT! Slovakia respond with a shot of their own, but it is a long way out and a long way off target from Pecovsky, who just found himself in a bit of space.

CHANCE! Almost a chance for England as a deflected cross is flicked on by both Lallana and Vardy. Sturridge is quickly on the front foot and just about gets to the ball first, but Pekarik makes a brilliant block to deny the striker.

UPDATE: There has been a goal in the other Group B game tonight, and it is Wales who have taken the lead in Toulouse courtesy of Aaron Ramsey. That means that as things stand, Wales will top the group.

Suddenly the onus is on England to go out and get the win tonight, but they have looked sharp in the opening stages of this one. They have dominated possession and are looking sharp in defence all over the field too.

SHOT! Another sight of goal for England as Vardy tees the ball back for Lallana, who takes a touch but then drags his effort a few yards wide of the target.

Slovakia come forward with their brightest attack of the game which ends with Hamsik swinging a cross in that has Hart a little worried, but drops wide of the far post.

Almost another chance for England, and again Lallana is involved. He latches on to a pass down the left flank and stands a cross up towards the back post. Henderson does well to control it before having a shot on the turn, but it is blocked behind for a corner.

CHANCE! Huge chance for England to take the lead! One ball over the top from Henderson finds Vardy in a footrace with Skrtel, and there is only going to be one winner there. Vardy latches on to it and only has the keeper to beat, but Kozacik makes a huge save.

Concerns for both teams here as first Pekarik goes down with his nose streaming with blood having been caught by the arm of Bertrand when going for an aerial ball, while Cahill also takes the chance to go down and receive treatment on what looks like a back problem.

UPDATE: Wales are certainly applying the pressure on England! They have doubled their lead against Russia, cutting right through the defence once again, with Neil Taylor applying the finish at the second time of asking.

Slovakia just seemed to have settled a little more into the game now, while Pekarik has only just returned to the field following that clash with Bertrand.

Cahill is also back on, and he makes an important contribution here to slide in and clear a dangerous low cross into the box following a mistake from Wilshere earlier in the move.

YELLOW CARD! The first card of the night is shown to Pecovsky for a sliding challenge from behind on a rampaging Vardy.

The match is just being broken up by a few fouls at the moment, which is preventing England from getting back into the rhythm with which they started the game.

There has been plenty of debate regarding Harry Kane on corners for England recently, but they don't seem to have a definite replacement in his absence. Bertrand and Henderson have both been on them so far.

Clyne is having an impact down the right flank and he reaches the byline again here before delivering a ball into the middle. A couple of red shirts are almost on the end of it, but Slovakia get it clear in the end.

Clyne and Henderson are again involved down that right flank, with the Liverpool duo combining to send the latter into a crossing position. He lifts a cross in that Kozacik rather flaps at, but again Slovakia are able to survive the danger.

The closest we have come to a goal in the opening half an hour was when Vardy raced through on goal, but the keeper made a good save to deny the striker here...

© Getty Images

SAVE! England threaten the opening goal yet again here, and once again it is Clyne down the right who acts as the provider. He gets the wrong side of his man once again and pulls a low pass back to Lallana, who stings the palms of Kozacik.

This really has been a good performance from England so far, with the likes of Clyne, Henderson and Lallana all heavily involved in that. All that is missing so far is a goal...

England come forward yet again as Sturridge drops deep before giving it to Lallana, but his shot is blocked and after Vardy touches it the flag is raised against Sturridge.

Former England striker Gary Lineker is feeling confident about their chances, and for good reason...

It's coming. Just be patient. England looking really good. — Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) June 20, 2016

Dier pings a beauty of a long pass over the top for Sturridge, who takes it down well before Durica gets a foot in to knock it behind for a corner. The initial delivery comes to nothing, but England keep it alive and Sturridge finds a cross which needs to be cleared by the defence.

Just five minutes remain in this half now, and Roy Hodgson will be delighted with how it has gone so far, with the exception of now having made the breakthrough...

England have enjoyed 66% possession in this first half so far, with Slovakia rarely making forays into the opposition half. Jan Kucka's side are desperate to get to half time here.

Another shot from England, but another block from a defender. This time it is Henderson who catches a volley sweetly, but it strikes a white shirt before it can test the keeper.

There will be just the one minute of added time at the end of this first half.

The first half comes to an end in Saint-Etienne, then, and were are still goalless between Slovakia and England despite a dominant performance for the Three Lions. They have created the best chances and dominated possession throughout, but so far the breakthrough has proved elusive - something of a common theme at this tournament so far.

The best chance of the half fell to Jamie Vardy as he latched on to Henderson's pass over the top, beating Skrtel all ends up for pace to race clean through on goal. He only had Kozacik to beat, but the Slovakia keeper made a big save to deny England the opening goal.

Lallana also had a clear chance for Roy Hodgson's side after good work from Clyne down the right flank, with the Liverpool full-back pulling a low ball into the box for his club teammate. Lallana was under a bit of pressure and had to hit it first time, but he should have done better, instead firing his effort straight down the middle and at the keeper. Those are the two standout chances of the half, but England have been dominant going forward and the only thing missing has been a goal.

In fairness to Slovakia, they have defended fairly well for the most part when it comes to stopping England from testing Kozacik. They have been caught out over the top now and again, but they have also made a few very good blocks, most notably when Pekarik produced a last-ditch one to deny Sturridge what would have been a glorious chance. The exception to their defending is down the right flank, with Clyne and Henderson really enjoying themselves down that side of the pitch.

As things stand, though, England need a goal. Wales enjoyed a dream opening 20 minutes against Russia, scoring twice to take control of that game and the group. Ramsey and Taylor got the goals which have put Wales top of Group B, and England need a goal to get that.

KICKOFF: Slovakia get us back underway for the second half in Saint-Etienne. Can they hold out again or will England get the goal they need?

England have quickly regained control of possession in this second half, but it will be interesting to see just how long they are able to stay patient for. A goal will surely come if they put in a repeat of their first half performance.

Now may be a good time to remind you that seven of England's eight previous goal against Slovakia have come after the hour mark...

YELLOW CARD! Bertrand becomes the first England man in the book for dragging down his man.

CHANCE! Oh my word, heart in mouth moment for England here! A cross arrives into the box from the left which Smalling attempts to chest back to Hart, but he doesn't put enough on it and Hart just does enough to deny Mak.

CHANCE! A big chance at the other end for England moments later, and it is Clyne yet again causing the trouble. He latches on to a Sturridge through-ball inside the area and tries to squeeze a shot in from a tight angle, but Kozacik makes another big, big save.

CHANCE! Now it is Slovakia who come forward as the game begins to open up a little. Weiss collects the ball in space on the left flank, but cuts back and his shot takes a small nick off Clyne before Hart gets down smartly at his near post.

ENGLAND SUB: England make their first change of the contest, and it is Wayne Rooney who comes on for his 114th cap, replacing Wilshere.

SLOVAKIA SUB: Slovakia make a change of their own as Dusan Svento comes on in place of Duda.

That Slovakia sub is designed to give them more of a defensive outlook on the left flank. It needed to be done for them too as Clyne was having a field day on the wing.

ENGLAND SUB: Another change from Hodgson sees Dele Alli replace Lallana.

OFF THE LINE! Almost an immediate impact from Alli as Henderson stands a ball up to the right flank and Alli comes racing on to it. He diverts it back towards goal, but Skrtel clears if off the line!

Well, England had one or two nervy moments in the opening stages of this half but they are back in control now and are camped in the Slovakia half.

Time continues to tick by, and you wouldn't blame the players for getting more and more tetchy as the final whistle approaches. They have 25 minutes left to find a winner in order to top the group.

SLOVAKIA SUB: Slovakia make their second change as Pecovsky is replaced by Norbert Gyomber.

UPDATE: It looks certain that Wales will keep up their end of the bargain now as Gareth Bale has just added a third against Russia with his third goal of the tournament.

Still England knock the ball about, passing and probing for a way through this Slovakia defence. Their threat down the right flank has waned a bit since that first Slovakia sub, but they are still dominating possession.

There is a worry for England here as Eric Dier goes down off the ball moments after trying a long-range shot. He is quickly back up to his feet, but that is a little concerning for Roy Hodgson.

CHANCE! Dier is fine, and he almost provides the assist for the opener here. He lifts a pass over the top of the defence which Sturridge looks destined to latch on to, but he can't connect with the volley over his shoulder and Kozacik collects.

ENGLAND SUB: It's Harry Kane time. Roy Hodgson uses his final change on the Tottenham striker as he replaces Sturridge.

...and the immediate good news is that Kane is in the six-yard box for a corner rather than taking it. Cahill gets his head to the ball, but it isn't a clean header and Kane can't connect with it.

SLOVAKIA SUB: There is no doubt that Slovakia will be happy with a goalless draw here. On comes a defender in Milan Skriniar, and off goes Weiss, who had been playing up front after Duda was taken off.

The headlines will all be about a lack of cutting edge for England tonight, as they were against Russia in the opening game. England have had 19 shots, but still no breakthrough here.

Yet more last-ditch defending from Slovakia denies England. They have a few bites of the cherry, but a white shirt is there at all times, ending with a long-range strike from Dier flying wide.

SHOT! Rooney is the latest to add to the shot count as he manoeuvres space for himself to shoot, but he drags his effort wide of the target.

Could Slovakia be ending this game with 10 men? Mak goes down clutching his hamstring, and having made all three subs he may not be able to continue.

SHOT! Hamsik tries to get something spectacular to steal this one for Slovakia, going for goal from almost the halfway line and trying to catch Hart out. The England keeper looks a little worried, but the ball flies over.

Almost a chance again as Bertrand throws a cross into the box that Cahill nods into a more dangerous area. Kane is in the mix, but the keeper gets there first.

CHANCE! Kane is again in there as Henderson crosses the ball into the middle, but it is just a fraction too high for Kane, who can only flick it on to no-one.

Now there is concern over Skrtel as he goes down following yet another clearance, holding his groin. He looks like he should be fine to continue, though.

All eyes on the fourth official, and he indicates FIVE minutes of added time here.

The desperation is at fever pitch now. Alli is allowed a chance to shoot from 30 yards, and he blazes it well over the crossbar.

It is a frustrating night for England in Saint-Etienne once again then, as they fail to make their dominance pay in a goalless draw with Slovakia. England will at least be in the last 16, but they get there as Group B runners-up behind Wales, who cruise through in the end courtesy of a 3-0 win over Russia this evening.

There were a few really clear chances for England, notably from Vardy, Lallana, Clyne and Dier, but on each occasion they were denied. Kozacik in particular had a good game in the Russian goal, while the likes of Skrtel and Durica more than played their part in keeping Roy Hodgson's side at bay. England will need to improve in the final third if they are to win this group!

Right that is all we have time for this evening! Thank you for joining Sports Mole for tonight's match as England are frustrated by Slovakia in Saint-Etienne. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction too. There is plenty more Euro 2016 action to come tomorrow, so be sure to check back in for that! From me, though, it is goodbye for now!