Serbia vs England – Match preview and team news

In partnership with

The Football Faithful

·9. September 2025

Serbia vs England – Match preview and team news

Serbia and England clash in Belgrade on Tuesday night, with both sides looking to strengthen their positions in Group K of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

The Three Lions arrive in the Serbian capital seeking to extend their perfect record, while the hosts aim to close the gap and keep their automatic qualification hopes alive in what promises to be a hostile atmosphere at the Rajko Mitić Stadium.

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Serbia vs England – Match Preview and Team News

Date: 9th September, Tuesday.
Kick-off: 7:45pm BST.
Venue: Stadion Rajkot Midic.

Serbia Team News

Serbia head coach Dragan Stojković will be confident after his side’s narrow 1-0 victory over Latvia on Friday, courtesy of Dušan Vlahović’s early strike. The former Nagoya Grampus boss is expected to field his strongest XI after resting several key players for the Latvia encounter.

Captain and all-time leading scorer Aleksandar Mitrović might spearhead the attack after a substitute appearance against Latvia, having recently reached the milestone of 100 international appearances. The Al-Rayyan striker, who recently completed a move from Al-Hilal, has netted 62 goals in his century of caps for Serbia. His partnership with Juventus forward Dušan Vlahović provides a formidable attacking threat.

Serbia FA have issued warnings to supporters ahead of the clash, urging fans to “send out an image to the world that will make us all proud” following previous disciplinary issues. The stadium capacity has been reduced by approximately 8,100 seats due to fan behaviour sanctions.

England Team News

Thomas Tuchel’s squad has been hit by injury concerns, with Manchester City defender John Stones ruled out after withdrawing from the camp with muscular issues. The 31-year-old defender had been carrying minor problems when he reported for duty and was deemed too risky to include.

Captain Harry Kane will lead the line despite criticism of his recent performances, having been described as “as inspirational as pesto pasta on a Sunday night” by Giles Whittell of The Observer recently. However, the Bayern Munich striker remains England’s all-time top scorer with 73 goals and recently equalled Bobby Moore’s record of 108 caps.

First-time call-up Elliot Anderson impressed in the 2-0 victory over Andorra, with Anderson catching the eye on his debut. Marcus Rashford has earned a recall to the squad following his loan move to Barcelona from Manchester United.

Form

Serbia: DWDWW

Serbia remain unbeaten in World Cup qualifying with two wins and one draw from their three matches. The Eagles started with a goalless stalemate against Albania in Tirana before thrashing Andorra 3-0, highlighted by Mitrović’s hat-trick. Their most recent 1-0 victory over Latvia demonstrated their defensive solidity, with an impressive home record of seven matches without defeat.

Under Stojković’s guidance, Serbia have shown tactical discipline and attacking threat, averaging one goal per game while conceding just 0.7 goals per match in qualifying.

England: WWWLW

England maintain their perfect World Cup qualifying record with four victories from four matches, though their 2-0 win over Andorra raised concerns about performance levels. Tuchel’s side has secured wins against Albania, Latvia, and Andorra twice, but the German manager acknowledged the need to “prove a point” following the underwhelming display at Villa Park.

The Three Lions have scored eight goals without conceding during the qualifiers so far, demonstrating their defensive solidity despite questions over entertainment value.