Jude Bellingham’s early header proved the difference as England began their EURO 2024 campaign with a narrow 1-0 victory over a spirited Serbia side in their Group C opener.
Three years on from their agonising defeat to Italy in the Wembley final, Gareth Southgate’s men took the first step on the road to redemption with a hard-fought win at the VELTINS-Arena on Sunday, June17th.
Bellingham, who became the first European player to feature in three major tournaments before his 21st birthday, powered home Bukayo Saka’s deflected cross in the 13th minute to put England ahead.
The 20-year-old Real Madrid star scored just weeks after winning the Champions League, and was a constant threat throughout the match, showcasing the confidence and quality that have made him one of the most highly-rated young talents in world football.
England dominated the early exchanges, with Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold and Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane both going close to extending their lead.
However, Serbia grew into the game as the first half progressed, and Aleksandar Mitrovic was unlucky not to level the scores with a powerful effort that flashed narrowly wide. First half ended 1-0 in favour of England.
The second half saw Serbia ramp up the pressure, with the physicality and organisation of Dragan Stojkovic’s side causing problems for the English defense. Loud penalty appeals in the 58th minute were waved away by the officials as the Balkan outfit sought an equaliser.
But England held firm, with the impressive debutant Marc Guehi and the experienced John Stones forming a solid partnership at the back. Jordan Pickford was also called upon to make a crucial save late on to deny Dusan Vlahovic.
Kane came closest to securing the three points for England, with his powerful header in the 77th minute brilliantly tipped onto the crossbar by Serbia goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic.
In the end, Bellingham’s early strike proved enough to secure the victory, putting England top of Group C ahead of Thursday’s clash with Denmark, the team they faced in the EURO 2020 semi-finals.
Serbia will be seeking nothing more than a victory when they play Slovenia earlier that day at 4pm. A win will keep the Serbs in the equation, while a loss will make things quite tricky for them in terms of qualifying for the knockout stages.
