ENGLAND 1-0 SERBIA: Jude Bellingham’s 13th-minute header is enough for the Three Lions, who ride out an edgy second half to open their Euro 2024 account with a victory
Jude Bellingham scored the winner as England endured a nerve-wracking opening match against Serbia at Euro 2024.
Bellingham headed in a deflected cross from Bukayo Saka to give England the lead in the 13th minute, but Aleksandar Mitrovic had a good chance to shoot wide. Kyle Walker failed to convert a fightback chance, but England went into the half-time break comfortably 1-0 ahead.
That sense of security faded after the break, with England looking gloomy and Serbia feeling more confident. There were some tense moments, but substitute Jarrod Bowen’s cross for Harry Kane smashed under the crossbar after a strong save from Predrag Rajkovic.
Jordan Pickford had to pull himself together to keep out Dusan Vlahovic’s long-range shot as an incredible England team finished with three points in Group C. Here are the key takeaways from the game in Gelsenkirchen.
Before kick-off, Cesc Fabregas compared Bellingham to Frank Lampard because of his uncanny ability to make perfectly timed runs into the box. Lampard has made a career out of these late concedes, intercepting backpasses and crosses and scoring an astonishing number of goals from midfield.
As we are often reminded, Bellingham is only 20 but he is already a happy character. He scored 23 goals in his debut season with Real Madrid and was already given the number 10 shirt for his country. His form was so good that Premier League player of the season Phil Foden was pushed to the left.
England’s first goal was a great example of the importance of finishing at the right time. Bellingham started the move with a cross pass to Kyle Walker, who raced into the box to head in a cross deflected by Saka. He was selected as the team’s talisman and this was the perfect start to a tournament that carried the country’s great hopes. Under his management, chants of “Yuuuuuude” were frequently heard in the first half.
Guehi follows in Maguire’s footsteps
Harry Maguire was a central player during Southgate’s time as England manager and his absence from Euro 2024 due to a calf injury was clearly an issue that needed to be addressed. Marc Guehi only returned to Crystal Palace in May after a three-month break from a long-term injury, but like Bellingham, he picked the right time to feature.
Guehi took over Maguire’s role alongside John Stones and, although he was shaky for the first minute, he showed no signs of nervousness. The 23-year-old looked like a player who could be traded for £55 million this summer, with interest from Manchester United and Arsenal.
His best moment came after 33 minutes, when Serbia put a dangerous ball into the penalty area and Aleksandar Mitrovic and Dusan Vlahovic attacked. Guehi took the lead and rose highest to head the ball away. He finished the first half perfect:
He completed 32 of his 32 attempted passes, won both the aerial duel and the only tackle. “He literally did everything right,” Joe Hart told the BBC during half-time. Central defence is seen as England’s weak spot, with Lewis Dunk and Ezri Konsa potentially other options, but Guehi’s performance will ease some of those concerns.
England invites you to print
England made an impressive start in Gelsenkirchen, with Bellingham showing what he can do and Saka and Declan Rice standing out. But total dominance of the ball didn’t last long and old habits began to creep into their game. Midway through the second half, Serbia were in the ascendancy and their fans could be heard the loudest in the stands.
England, who had previously been courageous going for the ball and playing from the back, suddenly found themselves guilty of hitting the ball in the direction of Kane and Phil Foden. Unsurprisingly, the ball didn’t stick and Serbia had new momentum. Only a poor first touch and some unlucky cross prevented them from testing Jordan Pickford. There was a tense moment when the England goalkeeper pounced on a loose ball at Guehi’s feet. Later in the tournament, better teams may be able to exploit these moments.
Risk Reward Ratio For Alexander-Arnold
Apart from choosing Guehi to partner Stones, Southgate’s only difficult decision was selecting Trent Alexander-Arnold in central midfield. Depending on how you look at it, this game will strengthen both the arguments for and against the introduction of the game.
The Liverpool man was throaty in the first half and was at the heart of many of England’s good moves. His best moment came in the 29th minute, when he played in behind Saka and used his quick feet to take a free kick. His interactions with Walker were also encouraging, and the flexibility of both players allowed them to swap positions at times.
But things got more difficult as the second half wore on, and it became clear that the game was no longer working in Alexander-Arnold’s favour. He is capable on the ball, but England needed to be more combative and disciplined. Southgate largely liked what he saw and responded by bringing on Conor Gallagher in place of Alexander-Arnold.
Pickford showed his greatness
With their backs against the wall, England had to keep their goalkeeper on their toes – and Pickford did not disappoint. As the final whistle approached, Vlahović picked up a loose ball on the edge of the penalty area and smashed it towards goal. Luckily, Pickford was focused and reacted by tipping the Juventus striker’s shot over the crossbar.
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