Serbia v England prediction, expected line-ups, how to watch and stats
With the World Cup less than a year away, England will be looking to step up their game when they travel to Belgrade this Tuesday night for a qualifying clash with Serbia.
On paper, things are going well for Thomas Tuchel and his men. The Three Lions are top of their group with four wins from four, scoring eight goals and conceding none.
Paper, unfortunately, does not mask England’s bleak performances during this qualifying campaign – none more so than the two performances against Andorra.
While the likes of Spain, Belgium, Italy and Portugal have been busy smashing their opponents, England were woefully boring, with some fans online going as far as wanting Gareth Southgate back. Now that’s saying something.
Tuchel’s plan of bringing excitement and life back into the Three Lions has miserably failed during his first nine months in charge, leaving certain fans worried as we head closer towards the 2026 World Cup.
READ: England player ratings v Andorra: Anderson and Madueke impress but CBs and Rashford struggle
Then again, Tuchel cannot take all the blame. The forward line during England’s measly 2-0 win over Andorra on Saturday consisted of Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke. No matter how many buses Andorra may have parked, these players have enough quality to score near enough on demand – yet that did not happen.
England’s boring style is not a new problem. The Three Lions rarely impress during qualifying campaigns for major tournaments, but scoring three goals in 180 minutes against one of the lowest-ranked teams in the world is a serious low.
Tuchel and his men have an opportunity to deliver an improved performance this Tuesday against tougher opposition.
Serbia have competed in three of the last four World Cups and also competed at the 2024 European Championships – a tournament which saw them compete against the Three Lions.
The two teams clashed in the opening match of their group, though fans were treated to an almighty borefest as Jude Bellingham’s goal spared England’s blushes.
The Serbs have only lost one home game since December 2022, and you can bet your bottom dollar that the Eagles will be hoping to capitalise on England’s recent dip.
Make sure to follow the game with our live score centre here.
Serbia v England where to watch and listen
Fans who are off sleeping pills and need something to help them to bed can watch the game live on ITV1. In Scotland, coverage is available on STV – for all those Jocks looking to have a bit of a laugh. BBC Radio 5 Live will have live radio commentary.
Serbia team news
Serbia have no fresh injury concerns following their slender 1-0 win over Latvia. In fact, the hosts will be boosted by the return of Aleksandar Mitrovic, who is the country’s all-time leading goalscorer.
Mitrovic is expected to replace Luka Jovic, joining Dusan Vlahovic in what promises to be a dangerous attacking duo.
Elsewhere, Nemanja Gudelj and Nemanja Maksimovic are set to feature in midfield after missing the game with Latvia.
Serbia predicted line-up
England team news
England came away unscathed from their qualifying match with Andorra, meaning Tuchel is unlikely to make too many changes.
If the German is to rotate, Marcus Rashford and Eberechi Eze are the two players who could be swapped out after failing to make their mark.
Anthony Gordon and Morgan Rodgers will be itching for an opportunity to start, while Ezri Konsa will be hoping to get a chance over Dan Burn in defence.
England predicted line-up
Serbia v England key stats
– England boast a perfect qualifying record, with four wins, eight goals scored and none conceded
– Serbia have only lost one home game since December 2022
– England beat Serbia when the two nations clashed at Euro 2024
– England have only lost one away game since their 1-0 defeat to Italy three years ago
Dragan Stojkovic (Serbia) quotes
On losing to England at Euro 2024
“Against England we started playing with too much respect for them, like they came from another planet. It should not be like that. We’ve played better against them later in the match and that’s how we’ll play against Slovenia.”
Thomas Tuchel (England) quotes
On Serbia
“We will try to prove a point – to win and put out the next performance and to be tough in the circumstances.
“We expect a very emotional stadium, we expect an emotional crowd. We expect maybe, to adapt to the circumstances. We don’t know what the pitch looks like.
“Make no excuses. Then we come up against a very physical team… They have high quality up front… they play very direct and we have to step up to this… and then prove the point that we’re a strong group, and we’re on the right way.”
Serbia v England referee stats
Frenchman Clement Turpin will be the man in the middle for Tuesday’s World Cup qualifier between Serbia and England.
The official’s last involvement with an English side took place in June when he oversaw Manchester City’s 5-2 win over Juventus in the Club World Cup.
His later international game was last July as Uruguay beat Saudi Arabia 1-0. Turpin had a quiet night, as he didn’t show a single booking.
Serbia v England prediction
England’s recent performances have been utterly dreadful to watch, and unfortunately, there is nothing to suggest that we are about to get something different.
Unlike Andorra, Serbia have attacking capabilities and will be looking to test the Three Lions in Belgrade.
We are expecting the hosts to become the first side during these World Cup qualifiers to score against England.
However, when it comes to the final result, we are backing Tuchel’s men to get the job done.
While it hasn’t been pretty, England have been able to get wins under their belt. We expect that trend to continue on Tuesday night.
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