The solitary goal of the contest was scored by Jude Bellingham and England won their first match of the Euro 2024 against Serbia by a score of 1-0.
Gareth Southgate’s England team took an early lead in Group C thanks to a resounding header by Bellingham, which was a result of a deflected cross from Bukayo Saka.
After having a rough first half, Serbia showed a significant improvement in their performance in the second half. However, Dragan Stojkovic’s team struggled to create clear opportunities and ultimately lost the match at Gelsenkirchen.
The opening match of Group C, which took place earlier in the evening, resulted in a 1-1 tie between Slovenia and Denmark. England currently holds the top spot in Group C with three points.
It did not take long for England to take possession of the ball, as Serbia positioned themselves in a deep position and attempted to hit long balls towards Vlahovic and Mitrovic.
The responsibility for making things happen fell on the shoulders of the Three Lions, and players such as Bellingham and Phil Foden were getting enough of the ball. However, the Serbian team did not show any signs of being moved in the first ten minutes of the match.
However, England was able to make the breakthrough in the thirteenth minute, when Bellingham scored a goal with a header that went into the back of the net. This came about as a result of Saka’s cross being diverted into a hazardous area.
When Mitrovic found space outside the box near the twenty minute mark of the contest, Serbia had the opportunity to tie the score. Alexander-Arnold’s lackluster defense allowed Mitrovic to find space, but the striker’s shot went just wide of the goal.
On the opposite end of the field, Kyle Walker made his way into the box after Alexander-Arnold had done some clever work, but the Manchester City defender’s low cross into a potentially hazardous area was not taken by any of the players.
It was a similar narrative in the 37th minute, with Saka breaking into the box before delivering, but it went to a red shirt, with the opportunity coming after a solid spell from Serbia. The goal was scored by him.
The goal scored by Bellingham proved to be the deciding factor at the halftime break; however, England did not have everything in their favor. Serbia shown enough to give the impression that they may make a comeback in the second half of the match.
Despite having the lead, England was not at all comfortable despite the fact that Serbia got off to a good start in the second half. The Eagles were more aggressive with their work, and Serbia had a solid start.
After some deft movement from the Juventus striker, Filip Mladenovic came dangerously near to meeting a low cross from Vlahovic in the 52nd minute. Alexander-Arnold then tested Predrag Rajkovic with a blast down the opposite end of the field.
As Mitrovic fell down inside the box after being touched by Trippier, Serbia had a shout for a penalty just before the hour. However, the referee did not show any interest in the situation, and the former Fulham striker was removed shortly after.
His header from a Jarrod Bowen cross came close to extending England’s advantage in the 77th minute, but the goalkeeper for Serbia pushed it against the crossbar.
Jordan Pickford, the goalkeeper for England, was at full strength when he stopped a strong strike from Vlahovic coming from the opposite end of the field. Kane then headed a shot off the line from the corner that resulted from the attack.
Despite the fact that the Three Lions’ performance was not even close to being convincing, they were able to secure a victory over a Serbian team that was quite tough in order to get their tournament off to a strong start with three points.
FOLLOW THIS ARTICLE ON X
READ MORE;
Poland 1-2 Netherlands: Oranje starts Euro campaign with a victory