Euro 2024 Tactical Analysis: England’s Dull 1-0 Victory Against Serbia

England secured their first victory in the group stage, a 1-0 victory over Serbia at the Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen. Jude Bellingham’s first-half header made the difference, giving England their second consecutive win in an opening game at the Euros. Despite a strong start, England had to withstand late pressure from Serbia to hold onto the win. This result puts England at the top of Group C, with their next match against Denmark on June 20. Serbia, meanwhile, will look to bounce back in their upcoming game against Slovenia.

Starting Lineups

England’s back four is as expected, with Kyle Walker, John Stones Marc Guehi and Kiernan Trippier who fills in for Luke Shaw (England’s only actual left-back). Trent Alexander-Arnold and Declan Rice are the pair of pivots while Bellingham plays a free roaming number 10, with Foden and Saka as wings. Harry Kane, of course, if the centre forward.

In total, there are four main changes from the last friendly, with Alexander-Arnold replacing Mainoo, while Saka and Bellingham replace Cole Palmer and Anthony Gordon.

Match Summary

Dominant Start: Bellingham Powers England Ahead

England started the match with confidence, quickly establishing dominance over Serbia. Southgate’s side controlled possession and applied early pressure on the Serbian defense. This early momentum paid off in the 13th minute when Jude Bellingham scored with a powerful header from a well-placed cross by Bukayo Saka.

England continued to dictate the pace of the game, keeping Serbia on the back foot and limiting their opportunities to break forward. Serbia struggled to gain any significant foothold in the game, managing just 13% possession at times. Their best chance came late in the half when Mitrovic’s effort went narrowly wide of the post after an error from Alexander-Arnold.

Despite creating few chances themselves, England’s clinical finishing with their first shot on target ensured they entered the half-time break with a deserved 1-0 lead. The Three Lions’ control and composure were evident, setting a solid foundation for the second half.

Nervy Finish: England Defend Their Lead

Serbia came out with renewed energy in the second half, determined to find an equalizer. They managed to hold more possession and press England higher up the pitch. Despite their efforts, England’s defense remained resolute.

The Three Lions had a golden opportunity to double their lead in the 78th minute when Harry Kane’s header was superbly tipped onto the crossbar by Rajkovic. This save kept Serbia in the game and spurred them on to create more chances.

Serbia’s best opportunities came in quick succession. In the 83rd minute, Pickford made a crucial save, tipping Vlahovic’s powerful shot over the bar. Moments later, Jovic found himself with a clear chance to score but failed to convert, as Pickford quickly gathered the loose ball.

As the game progressed, England made several substitutions to bolster their defense and manage the clock. Mainoo came on for Bellingham in a defensive move, and Bowen replaced Saka to provide fresh legs on the wing.

Despite Serbia’s increased tempo and attacking intent, England held firm. The defense, led by Stones and Guehi, effectively neutralized Serbia’s threats. Pickford’s commanding presence in goal ensured the clean sheet was maintained.

In the end, England’s early goal proved enough to secure the victory, despite a nervy finish. The Three Lions showed their resilience and defensive strength to see out the 1-0 win, taking all three points and positioning themselves favorably in Group C ahead of their next match against Denmark.

Key Moments

13’ – Bellingham’s Goal: England’s early pressure paid off when Jude Bellingham leaped above the Serbian defense to head home a cross from Bukayo Saka. This well-timed goal gave England a crucial lead and set the tone for the rest of the match.

21’ – Mitrovic’s Miss: Serbia’s first real chance came when Mitrovic capitalized on an England defensive error, but his shot from outside the box narrowly missed the target, highlighting Serbia’s struggle to finish chances.

26’ – Walker’s Missed Opportunity: England countered swiftly after intercepting a pass, with Kyle Walker racing into the penalty area. However, his shot went wide, missing the chance to extend England’s lead.

78’ – Kane’s Header Saved: Harry Kane’s powerful header from Bowen’s cross seemed destined for the net, but Serbian goalkeeper Rajkovic managed a fingertip save, pushing the ball onto the crossbar to keep Serbia in the game.

83’ – Pickford’s Crucial Save: Serbia’s Jovic set up Vlahovic, whose powerful left-footed shot was expertly tipped over the bar by Jordan Pickford, preserving England’s slim lead.

88’ – Milinkovic-Savic’s Near Miss: In the closing minutes, Milinkovic-Savic struck a powerful shot from just outside the box, but his effort went narrowly wide, marking Serbia’s last significant attempt to equalize.

Tactical Analysis

The Trent Alexander-Arnold Project. Did it Work?

Of course, the hot tactical topic of this game was the inclusion of Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield. Declan Rice got the role of the main defensive pivot, dropping back near the centre-backs and picking up the ball, while Alexander-Arnold adopted a more forward position down the right wing. At times we could see him in his classic right-back position, especially when England pushed on the wing, he sometimes rotated, allowing Saka to come and occupy the half space.

In this game, he had three main contributions, namely joining the right wing on attack, trying to put Saka in a 1v1 situation, using his long passing skills to switch it up on the left wing to Foden and helping Declan Rice to circulate the ball around during positional play phases.

His performance was overall good, although there were some hiccups which led to some very dangerous opportunities for Serbia to score the equaliser. Sometimes it seems like he lacked the necessary composure for the role, but usually whenever he made a mistake he was really quick to fix it. I wouldn’t call the Alexander-Arnold project a fail, but I wouldn’t say it is 100% working. There is some work to be done but for the moment, it’s more than functional.

Big Problems on the Left Wing

A huge problem that needs to be addressed is the absence of an attacking thread down the left wing. There was a huge chance when Alexander-Arnold launched Kyle Walker down the right flank, he crosses it into the box and nobody is there on the far post.

The lack of an attacking threat down the left wing is also a problem because it cripples Phil Foded. He had an underwhelming performance, having no shots whatsoever. This is because his main task in this game was to hold the width, in the absence of a full-back that would come up and do this. When playing for Manchester City, Gvardiol would do exactly that, allowing Foden to come in a more central position, occupy the left half-space and do his thing.

Just look at the two heat maps above. Against Serbia, Foden mainly touched the sideline with very few incursions in the box or in the centre. Meanwhile, while playing for City against Brighton, he was way more active in the centre of the field, and he scored two goals.

Parking the Bus Already?

The first half showed us a solid display from England, but the second half was very confusing. England fell back and waited. For what, I don’t necessarily know. They have a 1-0 lead, but it’s frail. Serbia had some chances to score the equaliser but Pickford had a good performance and managed to keep the sheet clean.

In the second half, England chose to adopt a more passive attitude and let Serbia have possession. In the first 20 minutes, England had a suffocating 80% possession, which fell for the rest of the game to a merely 44%. It is very weird why Southgate chose this approach, since the offensive potential of the squad is huge. Why wait to catch Serbia on the counter?

It’s clear this was Southgate’s strategy after the first goal and in the second half. To play for the counter attack. The substitutions reflect this perfectly. Connor Gallagher, a player well known for his energy, high work rate and ability to press and intercept the ball high up the pitch came in to substitute Alexander-Arnold. Jarrod Bowen, again a player that is excellent when it comes to pressing and counter attacking came in the 76th minute to substitute Saka. When I think of it, I can’t find a single good reason why England should have parked the bus so early.

Conclusion

England emerged victorious with a quite boring 1-0 win over Serbia, thanks to Jude Bellingham’s first-half header. Despite a commanding start, England chose rely on their defensive resilience and Jordan Pickford’s heroics to maintain their lead in the second half.

The result puts England at the top of Group C and sets an overall positive tone for their upcoming match against Denmark on June 20. Serbia, despite their spirited second-half performance, will look to regroup and seek their first points against Slovenia.