England v Slovenia background

England have won both of their previous encounters with Slovenia, though the results of those games suggest that their UEFA EURO 2016 meeting could be a close-run thing,

Match background
• The sides first met in a friendly game at Wembley on 5 September 2009, Fabio Capello's England running out 2-1 winners. Frank Lampard's penalty (31) and a deflected strike from Jermain Defoe (63) establishing their lead before Zlatan Ljubijankič (85) headed Matjaž Kek's side back into contention.

• Defoe (23) scored the only goal when the sides met in more significant circumstances – their final 2010 FIFA World Cup group stage game in Port Elizabeth. Victory took Capello's England to the knockout stage at the expense of Kek's Slovenia.

• The teams for that match on 23 June 2010 were:
Slovenia: Handanovič, Brečko, Šuler, Cesar, Jokić, Koren, Radosavljević, Birsa, Kirm (Matavž 79), Ljubijankič (Dedić 62), Novaković.
England: James, Johnson, Upson, Terry, A Cole, Gerrard, Lampard, Barry, Milner, Defoe (Heskey 86), Rooney (J Cole 72).

• In nine matches against Slovenia in UEFA age-group competitions, England's record is W7 D1 L1; the nations' Under-19 sides drew 1-1 in the most recent of those fixtures, at a UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualifying mini-tournament in Slovenia.

• The 11 meetings between English and Slovenian clubs in UEFA competition have been dominated by the Premier League teams: W7 D3 L1. That lone Slovenian success came when NK Maribor beat Wigan Athletic FC 2-1 at home in the 2013/14 UEFA Europa League group stage.

• The Purples also managed a draw against Chelsea FC in the most recent fixture between club sides from these countries, in this season's UEFA Champions League group stage on 5 November, although the Blues had recorded a convincing 6-0 home victory the previous matchday.