Sports
Euro 2024: England off to winning start with victory over Serbia
Jude Bellingham was the match winner as England came through a nervy opening match against Serbia at Euro 2024.
Bellingham gave England the lead in the 13th minute when he headed in Bukayo Saka’s deflected cross before Aleksandar Mitrovic fired a good chance wide. Kyle Walker failed to make the most of an opening on the break, but England went in at the break with a comfortable 1-0 lead.
That comfort disappeared in the second half, with England dropping deeper and Serbia growing in confidence. A few nervy moments came and went before substitute Jarrod Bowen crossed for Harry Kane, who struck the underside of the crossbar via a strong save from Predrag Rajkovic.
Jordan Pickford had to be on his toes to keep out a long-range effort from Dusan Vlahovic as an unconvincing England held on to claim three points in Group C. Here are the talking points from the match in Gelsenkirchen.
Speaking before kick-off, Cesc Fabregas compared Bellingham to Frank Lampard due to his uncanny ability to arrive in the box at the perfect moment. Lampard made a career out of those late runs which allowed him to charge onto cutbacks and crosses and chalk up a staggering goal tally from midfield.
Bellingham, as we are often reminded, is still only 20 years old but he already has that happy knack. He scored 23 goals in his debut campaign for Real Madrid and has been entrusted with the No10 role for his country already, his form so good that the Premier League player of the season, Phil Foden, has been shunted to the left.
England’s opening goal was a textbook example of the value of arriving at the right time, with Bellingham starting the move off by passing square to Kyle Walker before galloping into the area to nod in Saka’s deflected cross. He has been appointed the team’s talisman and this was a perfect start to the tournament for the nation’s great hope. Chants of “JUUUUUUUUDE” were frequent throughout the first half as he ran the show.
Harry Maguire has been a key player during Southgate’s reign as England boss and his absence from Euro 2024, due a calf injury, was an obvious problem that needed to be addressed. Marc Guehi only returned from a long-term injury for Crystal Palace in May following three months out but, like Bellingham, he timed his run perfectly.
Guehi has taken Maguire’s role alongside John Stones and, after a wobble in the first minute, there were no signs of nerves. The 23-year-old looked the part of a player being hyped for a £55million transfer this summer, with interest from Manchester United and Arsenal.
His best moment came after 33 minutes when Serbia swung a dangerous ball into the box for Aleksandar Mitrovic and Dusan Vlahovic to attack. Guehi took charge, rose highest and headed it clear.
He ended the first half with a flawless statistical record, having completed 32 of his 32 attempted passes and won both of his attempted aerial duels and his one tackle. “Literally everything he’s done, he’s done right,” said Joe Hart on the BBC at half-time. Central defence could be regarded as a weak spot for England, with Lewis Dunk and Ezri Konsa the other options, but Guehi’s performance will ease those concerns slightly.
England started impressively in Gelsenkirchen with Bellingham strutting his stuff and Saka and Declan Rice standing out. But their complete dominance of the ball didn’t last and old habits started creeping back into their play. By the time the middle of the second half arrived, it was Serbia who were on top and it was their fans who were most audible in the stands.
Having previously been brave on the ball and played their way out from the back, suddenly England were guilty of lumping the ball up in the general direction of Kane and Phil Foden. Unsurprisingly, the ball wasn’t sticking and Serbia had a new spring in their step; only a poor first touch and some misfortune from crosses prevented them from testing Jordan Pickford, with a nervy moment coming when England’s keeper leapt on a loose ball at Guehi’s feet. Later in the tournament, better teams are likely to make those moments count.
With their backs to the wall, England needed their goalkeeper to be alert – and Pickford did not disappoint. As they edged towards the final whistle, Vlahovic picked up a loose ball on the edge of the box and smashed an effort goalward. Thankfully, Pickford was deep in concentration and reacted to push the Juventus striker’s effort over the bar.
The end of this match wasn’t pretty – and there are many improvements that need to be made in possession – but at least their goalkeeper was on hand to maintain their clean sheet. The Everton keeper has been Southgate’s main man since 2018 and he continues to impress in the big occasions.
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