Serbia vs England – Preview, Lineups And Where To Watch | OneFootball

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Fixture: Serbia vs England Competition: FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifiers Kick-off: 9th September, 19:45 UK time

Thomas Tuchel’s England will be looking to make it five wins in a row tonight when they take on Serbia in Belgrade. The Three Lions are top of Group K in World Cup qualifying and Serbia are just behind them in the table with seven points from three games.

England faced Andorra at the weekend and secured a 2-0 victory with the help of Christian Garcia Gonzalez’s own goal and Declan Rice’s strike in the 67th minute.

Despite a game which saw England dominating ball possession and carrying the attacking threat, very few players managed to impress in the game, but debutant Elliot Anderson was one of them.

Former England international Phil Jones was impressed with the Nottingham Forest star’s maturity and believes that Anderson can feature as a number six and an eight.

In terms of quality and depth, Tuchel knows that his squad is the strongest in their group, but they have yet to impress with their performances despite winning all four of their qualifying games.

England’s Tuesday opponents are unbeaten in their group also and Dragan Stojkovic’s side will look to continue their unbeaten run by beating England at their home.

The Three Lions have not been tested by strong oppositions in the group stage yet, but Serbia could provide a good measuring scale for Tuchel’s boys, with the manager warning that the test is crucial for England.

England Squad And Lineup Clues

Tuchel has picked a squad where he left out Jack Grealish despite his brilliant start to the season with Everton, which raised some eyebrows. Some of the senior players in the form of Kyle Walker and Trent Alexander-Arnold, who joined Real Madrid this summer, were also absent.

The selection of Tino Livramento, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Elliot Anderson, who justified his selection in the Andorra game, shows Tuchel’s faith in talented young players and his intention to build a team with fresh faces who will be able to compete for silverware and win it in the future.

The German could make some significant changes in the starting lineup for the upcoming game against Serbia. Tuchel might rely on Marc Guehi in the defence, but Ezri Konsa could come in for Dan Burn.

Tuchel started Marcus Rashford ahead of Anthony Gordon against Andorra, but the Newcastle United star could get a nod ahead of him in the game against Serbia to add more pace and attacking threat.

With the absence of Jude Bellingham in midfield, Eberechi Eze, who recently joined Arsenal, is considered a more natural choice; he struggled to make the mark last Saturday. Morgan Rogers will be in the mind of Tuchel and the Aston Villa star was delighted after getting some minutes against Andorra.

Recent Form

England: WLWWWW Serbia: WWDWDD

Key Men

England

Marc Guehi will have to play a crucial role to stop Serbia’s attacking threat, Aleksandar Mitrovic, a player whom the Crystal Palace captain has faced multiple times in the Premier League and should know how to diffuse.

Anthony Gordon could play a deciding role in the game with his blistering pace and running-behind-the-line abilities. Serbian centre-backs have been tight at the back in their recent games and Gordon teaming up with experienced Harry Kane could provide serious damage to the opposition.

Serbia

England’s defence faces a familiar foe in Aleksandar Mitrovic, who has spent a big part of his career in English football and knows the players he will be up against on Tuesday and the 30-year-old with 62 goals for his country will want to add another feather in his crown by scoring against the Three Lions.

Dragan Stojkovic will rely on his two experienced players in the form of Nemanja Gudelj and Nottingham Forest defender Nikola Milenkovic to neutralise the English attacking threats. Gudelj, who is 33 years old, has experience of playing in some top clubs in Europe; he will know how to handle the pressure of big games.

Match Prediction

Away from home, Thomas Tuchel’s side will have to be ready to face the biggest test of their World Cup qualifying round.

The Rajko Mitic Stadium is expected to be jam-packed with an electrifying atmosphere and some of the players in the England team, who are inexperienced in international football, might have a tough time dealing with the atmosphere.

Serbia will be looking to cause damage to England early in the game and they will try to thwart the Three Lions and their game with serious physical battles in midfield. England will be reliant on Declan Rice to get control of that midfield as early as possible and introduce calmness in their game.

England do have players with superior quality, but Serbia will bank on their experience to seal a crucial three points in front of the home crowd. It will be necessary for England’s forwards to get going with their business as soon as possible to draw the first blood.

Defensive depth has been a concern for Tuchel since taking over; now he will be hoping that Guehi, Konsa and Dan Burn have what it takes to see off the threats possessed by towering and physical forwards Dusan Vlahovic and Aleksandar Mitrovic.

Where To Watch?