Jude Bellingham’s Goal Secures England Win Against Serbia

England managed to kick off their campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over a resilient Serbian side in Gelsenkirchen.

The game started with England, the pre-tournament favorites, dominating the early exchanges.

Bukayo Saka was a constant threat down the right flank, tormenting the Serbian defense with his pace and trickery. It was Saka’s cross that led to Bellingham’s well-timed header that found the back of the net, giving England the lead just before the quarter-hour mark.

Despite their early dominance, England faced a scare when Trent Alexander-Arnold lost possession dangerously in their half, allowing Aleksandar Mitrović to test Jordan Pickford with a long-range effort that narrowly missed the target.

As the game progressed, Serbia grew into the match and started to assert themselves, putting England’s defense under pressure. However, the Three Lions held firm, with Pickford making crucial saves to keep his clean sheet intact.

In the second half, Serbia came out with renewed energy, trapping England in their half and looking for an equalizer. Southgate made tactical changes, bringing on Conor Gallagher and Jarrod Bowen to inject fresh impetus into the game.

Bowen almost doubled England’s lead with a well-placed cross that found Harry Kane, whose close-range effort was denied by a brilliant save from Predrag Rajkovic.

As the game entered its closing stages, both teams pushed for a goal. Serbia’s Dusan Vlahovic unleashed a fierce strike from distance, but Pickford was equal to the task, tipping the ball over the bar. Despite the late pressure from Serbia, England’s defense held firm to secure the crucial victory.

The win puts England in a strong position in the tournament, with one more victory guaranteeing their place in the knockout stages.

On the other hand, Serbia will need to bounce back in their next match against Slovenia to keep their hopes alive.