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Euro 2016: Recapping Group B action yesterday

Leicester City players Andy King and Jamie Vardy were both in action for Monday's pivotal Group B matches.

Julian Finney/Getty Images

After the final round of Group B fixtures Andy King and Wales were able claimed the top spot, snatching up all 3 points against a shambolic Russian side. Meanwhile Jamie Vardy and England blew the opportunity to win the group, drawing Slovakia in a game that finished a 0-0 draw.

Wales were looking to bounce back from a heartbreaking defeat to England, and did so in emphatic fashion. They found themselves up 2-0 in the opening 20 minutes thanks to goals from Aaron Ramsey and Neil Taylor. After finishing the first half with a whopping 9 shots on target, Wales were in cruise control.

Star-man Gareth Bale netted the insurance goal to give Wales the 3-0 lead, becoming the tournaments top goalscorer with three goals in as many games.

Leicester City's Andy King also made his tournament debut for Wales, coming off the bench in the 72nd minute to see out the game.

On the other side of Group B, it was yet another disappointing result for England. Manager Roy Hodgson gambled, making 6 changes to his previous starting eleven, the most notable being Jamie Vardy and Daniel Sturridge replacing Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling.

This gamble looked to have paid off in the early stages of the match, with Vardy in particular looking destined to score. The attack as a whole looked far more threatening and direct with Vardy leading the line, a smart choice when you're playing against a team that's looking to sit back and defend.

Vardy nearly had his chance. He out-paced the defenders in classic Vardy-fashion, coming into a one-on-one situation with Slovakian goalkeeper Matúš Kozáčik, who made a superb save to deny the England striker.

England had the better of the chances, but once again lacked the end product. Jordan Henderson was absolutely appalling on set pieces and consistently looked to shoot straight into a wall of Slovakian players when given the chance during open play.

Meanwhile, Jack Wilshire put on an less-than-memorable display. Rusty with his touches and constantly trying to be too fancy with the ball, the Arsenal man did Roy Hodgson no favors to silence skeptics over his selection.

The second half started similar to the first, with England on the attack, but creating very few chances despite heavy possession.

It was a difficult period of football to watch as England showed little clinical ability in moving the ball. Slovakia flooded the penalty area with defenders, leaving the wings free for the English to operate and send crosses into the danger zone. But the amount of miss-hit crosses and long balls was countless, and England failed to score.

The Three Lions finished second in a group many expected them to top.

Although some are saying Vardy went missing in the second half, there was no service available to any English player in the box. The first half proved England are far more dangerous with him on the pitch than without, meaning he should be in with a shout for England's first game of the knockout rounds.

Overall, it's a good day for Leicester fans as King and Vardy both find themselves in the knockout stages. Hopefully they can make it count and lead their respective squads to glory.