Euro 2016: Group Scores, Highlights and Twitter Reaction from Saturday Results
England's Euro 2016 campaign got off to a glum start on Saturday after Russia centre-back Vasili Berezutski cancelled out Eric Dier's 73rd-minute free-kick in added time to turn their hope into dismay.
That result means Wales sit at the top of Group B after the first round of results thanks to their 2-1 victory over Slovakia. A sensational Gareth Bale free-kick started manager Chris Coleman's side on their path to a historic victory, where Hal Robson-Kanu bagged an 81st-minute winner following Ondrej Duda's equaliser.
In Group A earlier on Saturday, Switzerland edged their way to a 1-0 win over 10-man Albania, who saw Lorik Cana sent off in the first half following Fabian Schar's early breakthrough.
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Read on for a roundup of Saturday's packed Euro 2016 slate, complete with highlights and a look to the latest group standings.
| 1 | France (H) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 3 |
| 2 | Switzerland | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 3 |
| 3 | Romania | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 0 |
| 4 | Albania | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 0 |
| 1 | Wales | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 3 |
| 2 | England | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | Russia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Slovakia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 0 |
England 1-1 Russia
It was far from glamorous, and England's Euro 2016 tournament got off to a rocky start on Saturday after Russia found a late breakthrough to salvage a point from their clash at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille.
In his first senior international tournament, Tottenham Hotspur star Dier showed no signs of intimidation in opening the scoring, and KICK highlighted his landmark achievement due to the method by which he scored:
England lacked the killer touch despite being in the ascendancy for much of the clash, and they were ultimately made to pay after Berezutski rose highest to rescue a 1-1 draw, per ITV Football:
After looking destined for a three-point haul following Dier's opener, it was ultimately England's complacency that ensured all the hope around their tournament prior to kick-off is now replaced by a familiar sense of uncertainty.
All eyes now turn to the Home Nation duel against Group B leaders Wales on Thursday, where the winner will most likely be seen as favourite to emerge atop the pool.
Wales 2-1 Slovakia
It's been 58 years since Wales' first and only involvement at a major tournament, and the Dragons roared their way to a historic win over Slovakia after making their European Championship bow on Saturday.
There's a huge amount of belief in and surrounding the team, but it wasn't until a Bale free-kick golazo after 10 minutes, per Match of the Day, that some will have really acknowledged their chance of advancing from Group B:
It was a tetchy showdown at times, but Wales were deserved victors despite not having been present in this kind of major tournament for so long:
The Welsh fans were vibrant throughout in Bordeaux, and Bale made sure to pay tribute to those who made the trip in his post-match comments, per BBC Sport: "Our fans are the best in the world, it was like a home game, they fully got behind us and we gave them something to celebrate. It was a historic moment for our country, a massive moment."
Some decisions didn't go in Wales' favour, most notably an unseen elbow from Slovak defender Martin Skrtel, not to mention an off-the-ball barge on Bale inside his own penalty area.
In the end, though, the higher-quality side came away with a deserved three points, and Wales' chances of clinching a place in the knockout stages appear to have shot up as a result.
Albania 0-1 Switzerland
The 10 men of Albania will rue what could have been at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis in Lens after they opened their Euro 2016 campaign with a 1-0 defeat to a very unconvincing Switzerland side.
A fifth-minute header from centre-back Schar proved to the be the difference between the two Group A sides, but it was Cana's sending off in the 36th minute for a second yellow card that ended up deciding the tie:
That being said, this was a clash marred by missed chances, and Bleacher Report's Karl Matchett pointed out that while Haris Seferovic was off the mark for the Swiss, Albania's Armando Sadiku had his share of chances, too:
Albania—playing in their first European Championship—will undoubtedly believe they could have challenged for three points had they kept 11 men on the pitch, but those are ultimately the breaks.
Meanwhile, Switzerland will know they'll need to improve their proficiency in front of goal if they're to topple France and Romania in the hopes of topping Group A.
