- What: 1st round of EURO 2024, Group C, Serbia vs England
- Where: Germany, Gelsenkirchen
- When: June 16, 22:00 (local time - 21:00)
- Stadium: Veltins-Arena (62,000 seats)
England is the tournament favorite according to experts and bookmakers. However, they were also considered favorites in at least two previous major cycles, yet titles eluded them. Their journey in the World Cup in Qatar ended in the quarter-finals, with a consolation of reaching the final of EURO 2020, albeit losing to Italy.
Serbia
Serbia had a tough path to the tournament, finishing second in a relatively weak qualifying group. They conceded the top spot to Hungary and fought for the second position with Montenegro until the last matchday. In the group, they recorded 4 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses, with a total of 15 goals scored and 9 conceded.
Since spring, they played 4 friendlies: lost to Austria (2-1) and Russia (3-0), and won against Cyprus (1-0) and Sweden (3-0). In November, they lost another friendly to Belgium (1-0). In their last 6 matches, they had 3 losses, 1 draw, and only 2 wins.
The team is struggling, although capable of putting up a fight with the right mindset and favorable match conditions.
England
England secured their spot by finishing first in a challenging qualifying group, clinching it 2 rounds before the end. They remained unbeaten in 8 matches, with 2 draws against Ukraine (1-1) and North Macedonia (1-1) when their top position was already secured. They scored 22 goals and conceded 4. Notably, they avenged their past EURO loss to Italy twice (2-1 and 3-1).
Since spring, they played 4 friendlies with mixed results: a loss to Brazil (1-0) and Iceland (1-0), a draw with Belgium (2-2), and a win against Bosnia and Herzegovina (3-0). Despite dominating in all aspects against these teams, except Brazil, they struggled to convert their dominance into goals.
Prediction
Today's Serbia is unlikely to seriously challenge today's England. Primarily due to their instability and somewhat shaky morale. The Balkans haven't faced opponents of this caliber since the 2022 World Cup. The "Three Lions" will press and should dominate.
Prediction xGscore: England Win
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