Monday 4 May 2020 09:11, UK
England were frustrated by Slovakia in Monday's 0-0 draw in St Etienne but Nathaniel Clyne's performance was a source of encouragement.
The Liverpool right-back was named man of the match after starting in place of Tottenham's Kyle Walker, who was rested after a similarly starring display in England's 2-1 win over Wales on Thursday.
As Roy Hodgson ponders which right-back should start in the last 16, Pro Soccer Development provides a detailed statistical comparison of Clyne and Walker's man-of-the-match performances against Slovakia and Wales.
Defending
England spent most of the Wales and Slovakia games camped in the opposition's half, so Clyne and Walker were not kept too busy in a defensive sense.
The stats suggest their performances were closely matched. Walker fared slightly better in one-on-one situations, winning five out of 10 compared to Clyne's three out of nine, but Clyne had more success when defending with his back to goal against attacking hold-up play.
In total, Clyne completed 12 out of 26 defensive actions successfully while Walker succeeded with 16 out of 34. There success rates were therefore closely matched on 46 and 47 per cent respectively.
Attacking
Clyne and Walker are exciting attacking full-backs who add considerable value to the England set-up, and they certainly had the chance to play to their strengths against Wales and Slovakia.
They bombed forward throughout both games as England sought to attack down their right side. Walker was the busier of the two, with PSD data showing he attempted 112 attacking actions to Clyne's 57.
But while Walker saw far more of the ball in the opposition half, Clyne was more efficient in all attacking departments, with a success rate of 91 per cent compared to Walker's 72 per cent for attacking actions.
Passing and distribution
According to PSD's analysis, Clyne had the edge on Walker for passing and distribution. Clyne was England's most creative outlet against Slovakia, completing three of his eight crosses and finding a team-mate with all five of his attempted through balls.
Walker's delivery let him down against Wales, with only one cross out of seven finding a team-mate, and he was also less successful with through balls, misplacing one of his four attempts. The more penetrative passes in attack certainly came from Clyne.
Conclusion
Both players have made a strong case for inclusion in England's last 16 tie, leaving Hodgson with a difficult decision to make.
But while they were evenly matched in a defensive sense, PSD's analysis shows Clyne was more effective going forward.
Hodgson would be confident in calling on either player, but Clyne's impact might prove impossible to ignore.
