England will look to get their Euro 2024 campaign off to the perfect start when they take on Serbia this Sunday.
The Three Lions are the favourites to lift the trophy on July 14 in Berlin, although they go into the tournament on the back of a demoralising 1-0 friendly defeat to Iceland at Wembley, a result which saw manager Gareth Southgate and his squad heavily criticised. An emphatic response against Serbia is needed for fans to once again start believing that football is finally coming home after years and years of hurt.
Euro 2024 is here and NetBet has all your betting needs covered. Sign up now and take advantage of our exciting welcome offer.
Serbia vs England
Sunday, June 16, 8pm
Veltins Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Live on BBC One
Preview
England and Serbia meet for the first time ever in a major international tournament – and as group stage openers go it is a far from easy gig for the Three Lions.
Serbia possess some talented players in all areas of the pitch, particularly further forward where Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Dusan Tadic and Aleksandar Mitrovic will look to put England’s injury-stricken defence to the sword. All three scored in last Saturday’s 3-0 friendly win over Sweden.
However, while Serbia pose a threat, the Three Lions will be confident of victory given their own strength going forward and a recent fine record in tournament football. England have lost just one game in 90 minutes across the last two showpiece events, which was the 2-1 quarter-final defeat to France at the 2022 World Cup.
Serbia failed to win a single game at that World Cup, drawing 3-3 with Cameroon either side of losses to Switzerland and Brazil. This is also their first taste of a European Championship since becoming a stand-alone sovereign republic in the summer of 2006, so England’s experience and pedigree – despite a current run of just one win in five games – should come into play.
Serbia vs England Odds
Unsurprisingly, England are heavy favourites to claim victory here. The Three Lions are priced at 1.46, while Serbia are at 7.20 to produce a seismic upset.
Serbia vs England Betting Tips
Nervy start
An early goal would be the dream for Southgate’s side but against a tough, resolute Serbian outfit packed with talent from Europe’s top five leagues, that may not be possible. As such, the game to be a draw at half-time with England going on to secure victory after the break looks mighty tempting at 3.37.
Get the job done
But if England score the crucial opening goal in the second half, an eventual victory by a two-goal margin is firmly on the cards. The Three Lions to secure the win by exactly two goals (2-0, 3-1 etc.) is priced at 4.05.
Belli-goal
While he did not feature in either of England’s warm-up games after winning the Champions League with Real Madrid, we expect Jude Bellingham to announce himself at Euro 2024 in typical fashion. The world-class midfielder, who looks nailed on to start as the Three Lions’ No10 in Gelsenkirchen, is 3.20 to score at any point in the match.
Score Prediction
This game will probably be far closer than England fans want it to be. However, we fancy the Three Lions to get the job done in the second half.
Serbia 0-2 England
England Team News
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Pickford, Walker, Stones, Guehi, Trippier, Rice, Alexander-Arnold, Saka, Bellingham, Foden, Kane
Serbia Team News
Predicted XI (3-4-2-1): Milnkovic-Savic, Milenkovic, Veljkovic, Pavlovic, Zivkovic, Gudelj, Lukic, Milnkovic-Savic, Tadic, Mitrovic
When you choose NetBet Sport, you can enjoy a whole range of top-quality sports and markets. Whatever you choose, always remember to bet responsibly. Here at NetBet, player wellbeing is our number one priority – check out our Responsible Gambling tips and tools page for more information.
