Euro 2024: Serbia x England, Match Preview, Odds and Predictions(16/06/2024)

Sunday night at Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Serbia, and England will square off in their first competitive encounter. The Eagles defeated Sweden 3-0 in their most recent warm-up match. However, it should be mentioned that Jon Dahl Tomasson rested several first-team regulars on Zlatan Ibrahimovic's farewell to international football. While notable players Aleksandar Mitrovic, Dusan Tadic, and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic are all healthy to play against the Three Lions, players like Darko Lazovic, Strahinja Erakovic, and Dejan Joveljic have been left out.

In their most recent friendly, England, on the other hand, lost shockingly to Iceland, although you should be aware that Gareth Southgate shuffled the group. Real Madrid Jude Bellingham makes his way back into the starting lineup, and considering that Southgate will be fielding the strongest team possible against Serbia, an away victory should be considered. 

Serbia x England Team News

Nine Serbian players have more than 40 caps between them, giving the national team a plethora of experience. Fans of the Premier League may recognize Mitrović as a player for Al Hilal at the highest level of Saudi Arabian football. After a few tough years, Luka Jović has found his form again, while Tadić remains a virtuoso at Fenerbahçe after a great time with Dutch giants Ajax. Đorđe Petrović is a potential threat to Vanja Milinković-Savić's position as number one goalkeeper, particularly after Petrović's impressive displays when substituting for Robert Sánchez at Chelsea. Nikola Milenković and Srđan Babić, both defenders, are also anticipated to make an appearance. To have any chance against a formidable English squad, the Serbian defense will have to play their best international games. Even Sergej Milinković-Savić, formerly highly esteemed, must demonstrate his old form.

It is incredible to see the transformation in such a short period. Palmer was not expected to play in England's first tournament match when the current domestic season started. Things have changed, however, since the youth product of Manchester City enjoyed a sensational first season at Chelsea, finishing second in the race for the Premier League Golden Boot behind Erling Haaland. Now Southgate must decide how to start him for England. There is speculation that he may challenge Saka, who has also shown great promise, for the starting right-back position, where Kane would likely start as the starting striker. Things are less murky elsewhere on the squad, with Declan Rice in charge and Jordan Pickford as the clear starter.

Head To Head And Previous Matches

With a narrow four-point margin of defeat against Hungary, Serbia took second place in Group G. Their finest marksman, Aleksandar Mitrović, scored five goals. Still, they lost all of their games against the group winners. Three of the goals were scored in a 3-1 victory against Lithuania. While Serbia did win their match against Montenegro, they could only draw twice versus Bulgaria, the team in last place. Even though Stojković knows England is the squad to beat for the top spot, he still targets a top-two result. They still have a shot at making it to the playoffs if they don't come in first or second; the top three teams in each group will advance regardless. Slovenia and Denmark are part of Serbia's group.

Despite losing to Italy in the last European Championship final on penalties, England made a strong showing in Group C of the qualifying round for Euro 2024 and even had an opportunity to exact retribution. Despite being undefeated in the league, England drew two away games against North Macedonia and Ukraine, allowing the opening goal. Some have voiced worries about England's defense, but the team has a history of success under intense scrutiny, so they should be able to win their group.

Our Predictions

England to win @ 1.48 on Sky247

With last weekend's disheartening loss, the excitement around England's aspirations for Euro 2024 took a nosedive. After finalizing his 26-man team, Gareth Southgate faced early criticism after England's 1-0 defeat to Iceland at Wembley.

Just over eighteen months ago, in their first match of the 2022 World Cup, England thrashed Iran 6-2. That was then, and this is now: too much potential for England to suffer for very long. Even if England has everything it takes to win in Gelsenkirchen, they may need help maintaining a shutout against a Serbian team that made a statement with their win last weekend.

Kane to score anytime @ 2.00 on Sky247.ng

Having one of the most successful attackers in international football at his disposal is a blessing for Gareth Southgate, who wants to inspire England following their problems last week. Before the European Championships, Harry Kane spent almost a year playing for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, scoring 36 goals in 32 appearances.

Kane has scored in ten of his past fourteen appearances for England and eight goals in eight Champions League matches for Bayern. Kane is a solid bet to score and restore England's attacking prowess, as he has scored ten goals in his past ten competitive internationals.

Kane can move forward and produce for his teammates with the help of players like Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, and Cole Palmer. The Serbs let in eight goals in their three World Cup games in Qatar, so England should score easily.

Both teams are to score @2.02 on Sky247.ng

England will win and score a few goals, but Serbia isn't without their offensive danger. With Aleksandar Mitrovic and Dusan Vlahovic starting up front for Serbia in their 3-5-2 formation, they secured a 3-0 victory against Sweden in their last tournament match.

The nimble wing-backs of Serbia were instrumental in all three goals against Sweden, while midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic brings another scoring danger. In Serbia's last six World Cup qualifiers, both sides scored, and in two of Serbia's three matches, the total score was B.T.T.S. This event presents an opportunity for both sides to score since England enters the competition, having gone four games without a clean sheet.

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