A 13th-minute Jude Bellingham header made the difference in England’s 1-0 win over Serbia, one of the favorites to win Euro 2024 and end their 58-year drought, looked dominant throughout the game.
United fullback Luke Shaw, who has been out since February after suffering a hamstring injury, missed England’s Euros opener. However, manager Gareth Southgate confirmed that Shaw trained with the team ahead of the match and will play in their next match.
Antics clouded the ‘high-risk’ game before any of the players even kicked the ball. German police reportedly had to intervene in a clash between English and Serbian fans, with chairs, stones, and glasses being thrown.
Bellingham goal saves England
Jude Bellingham started the game with a bang, scoring in the opening minutes of the game. Kyle Walker played Bukayo Saka on a through ball in the 13th minute, with the Arsenal winger chipping a ball into the box. Bellingham connected with the cross, flying in to head his attempt past Serbia stopper Predrag Rajkovic.
Serbia could have equalized through Al-Hilal striker Aleksandar Mitrović in the 20th minute. Trent Alexander-Arnold had a poor touch on the ball and clumsily gave the ball up to Serbia’s Andrija Zivkovic. Zivkovic laid the ball off to Mitrović, who blasted a ball just shy of the post.
England had more chances to extend their lead. Just minutes later, the Three Lions burst onto a counter-attack, with Saka playing Walker into open space. Walker powered his way into the final third and played a pitch-perfect ball across the face of the goal. However, no one was there to convert the golden chance, with Alexander-Arnold just seconds away from the ball.
Chances became more sparse as England slowed down and looked to possess the ball. It was Serbia who found themselves searching for a goal and despite their direct play, they could not apply the finishing touch.
One of the more controversial moments of the night came in the 59th minute. Filip Mlandenovic played a cut-back to a streaking Mitrović, but the ex-Fulham striker was seemingly shoved in the back by Kieran Trippier. The Serbians protested, but the referee elected not to check the VAR monitor.
England’s biggest chance came in the 76th minute, with Harry Kane given the chance to all but seal the game for England. Jarrod Bowen beat his man on the right wing and sent a cross careening towards the skipper. However, Kane saw his header incredibly saved on the line by Rajkovic.
Juve star Dusan Vlahovic nearly found the net in the 81st minute after receiving the ball from Luka Jovic. Vlahovic strained to take a heavy touch, raced after the ball, and slammed a strike while seemingly off-balanced. His shot nearly found the back of the net if not for a stellar, fingertip-heavy save from Jordan Pickford.
Denmark up next for England after Serbia match
After taking home three points, England will look forward to their matchup against Denmark. Denmark, who drew 1-1 to Slovenia, poses a tough challenge to England. Denmark will likely need a win to stave off elimination.
England will face Denmark on Thursday at noon EST.
Serbia will desperately need a win against Eastern European rivals Slovenia to progress through the group stage. Since UEFA opened up qualification to the knockout round to the four-best third-placed teams, only one team of eight has qualified without a win. They will be favorites to win, but they’ll have to watch out for their quietly talented defense and potent offense.
Serbia faces Slovenia on Thursday at 9 AM EST.
PHOTOS: IMAGO
