Serbia had a much more tumultuous run in Group K with 2 losses, three wins and a draw. Their fixture at Wembley was their last ditch attempt to try and secure their place at the World Cup in 2026. With England already qualified and Serbia fighting for a place on the world stage of football, the match dynamics made for a competitive game.
Serbia’s Management Change
Serbia came into the game under new management after Dragan Stojkovic resigned following the team’s 1-0 defeat against Albania. The former manager had led the team since 2021 and helped them to qualify for the 2022 world cup. Stojkovic is succeeded by Veljko Paunovic who has experience coaching in LaLiga, Liga MX and the Championship in the UK. The zealous and charismatic Paunovic endeavoured to develop his squad’s resilience against England after their 5-0 defeat in September.
England Injury and Squad Experimentation
Competition for England squad selection has been fiercely competitive ahead of the World Cup next year. There is no shortage of talent vying for Tuchel’s attention and selection for the squad. All world cup teams aspire to have a bench that is just as skilled and versatile as its starting XI. Tuchel opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation with Kane up front. Rogers, Konsa and James were all emerging talents in the squad. Rashford joined the lineup after a legendary run at Barcelona so far this season. Nico O’Reilly made his England debut after showing great sportsmanship at Manchester City. The England bench was full of talented players including recently recovered Jude Bellingham, Arsenal signing Eberechi Eze and Phil Foden who had returned to play after being plagued by ankle injuries. With Pope out with concussion, Guehi out with a foot injury and Gordon suffering from a hip problem, Tuchel still had a solid range of options to choose from against Serbia.
Serbian counters and goalkeeper slip
The Serbian team were dealt a blow having entered the game without their all-time goalscorer Aleksander Mitrovic who was out due to injury. Paunovic employed a formation designed to defend well against England on the counter and present them with the challenge of penetrating a well-organised Serbian midfield. The players created some great chances in the game, particularly in the second half. Team captain Kostic had a great run in goal and had to be strategically sidetackled by Kane in the 58th minute. Vlahovic also had an opportunity on goal five minutes later, but his flick went wide. Midfielder Ivan Ilic put in a great performance in the defensive midlfield, but had to be taken off in the 36th minute after he suffered a serious knee injury that may have resulted from his studs getting stuck in the turf. Goalkeeper Jalkovic unconvincingly punched out an England free kick which was coverted into the first England goal. There are questions about the efficiency of punching as an effective means of saving goals. Although Serbia conceded two goals, the team were skillful in the way they defended attempts on goal in their box where margins of error were acute. The Serbian team may have failed to win but to go from conceding five goals against England in September to conceding two in this fixture is definitely a sign of the team’s improvement and increased resilience.
Arsenal starboys find the back of the net for England
England came into this game as the stronger team, but arguably this game was a slow burn. Nico O’Reilly, the 20 year old debutant, fit in well in the squad and made a recognisable contribution to the game. Kane demonstrated versatility beyond the traditional role of a number 9 to keep Serbia at bay. Rogers showed promise as a starting number 10 for England, having been chosen to start ahead of childhood friend – Bellingham. The quick thinking of O’Reilly helped to take advantage of Jalkovic’s ineffective clearance, facilitating the initial goal by Saka in the first half. Serbia came on the pitch with renewed zealousness after half time. The game was too open in moments and Serbia sought to take advantage of England. Tuchel made a quadruple change in the 65th minute with Henderson, Bellingham, Foden and Eze brought on the pitch. Foden played the role of a false nine and Bellingham found his feet in international football once again after being away with injury. Eze cemented England’s win over Serbia with a great strike from the edge of the box, with Foden providing the assist. With the support of the cohesive brotherhood that Tuchel is developing in the England squad, the two Arsenal starboys were instrumental in securing the win and maintaining England’s impeccable qualifying record so far.
