England v Serbia - Match Preview

England face Serbia at Wembley in matchday 6 of World Cup qualifying

England host Serbia in World Cup Qualifying tonight in a match that varies in importance for both sides.

 

For England, the outcome of this match is largely unimportant due to the Three Lions guaranteeing qualification last time out in Latvia.

 

For Serbia, however, this could be their most crucial game of the campaign. They currently sit third in Group K – one point behind Albania who play bottom of the table Andorra tonight.

Should Serbia lose and Albania win, their play-off hopes will be over, and their summer will be spent on the beach.

 

When asked about whether he will experiment with the squad in tonight’s game, Thomas Tuchel’s response was that “it’s World Cup Qualifying, we’re here to win”.

 

The England boss’s stance has clearly been to maximise the three camps presented to him, and he has done a good job of that so far.

 

The European runners-up currently sit top of Group K, with maximum points and qualification for the 2026 World Cup confirmed. However, much of this was achieved without one of England’s star players.

 

Jude Bellingham was missing from the squad for the last two camps but has been selected this time, with Tuchel stating that “he deserves to be back” and there’s a “good atmosphere in the last few days”.

 

The German also spoke about how Bellingham, Foden and Kane cannot all start, stating “at the moment, if we keep the structure, they cannot play”. This creates the possibility for some massive names to miss out when it comes to the World Cup next summer.

 

Last time out, England defeated a deflated Latvia side 5-0 away from home, with Anthony Gordon scoring the opener. Harry Kane grabbed a brace, bringing his tally for the side to 76; an own goal from Tonisevs followed before Ebere Eze topped it off.

 

Serbia beat Andorra in their last game with Vlahovic and Mitrovic showing up as the heroes of that game, keeping their World Cup dreams alive. However, today’s game practically requires a result for Serbia.

 

With second place Albania playing a weak Andorra side tonight, if they win and Serbia lose, they will qualify for the play-offs. Meaning Serbia will miss the World Cup for the first time since 2014.

 

Serbia appointed new head coach Veljko Paunovic ahead of this camp in an attempt to rescue World Cup qualification.

 

The Serb was appointed just three weeks after being sacked by Spanish side Real Oviedo, who currently sit bottom of La Liga, despite overseeing promotion in the back end of last season, returning the side to the top tier for the first time in 24 years.

 

“It’s not in our genes to give up”, Paunovic told The Guardian ahead of tonight’s crucial game.

In their two meetings, England have beaten Serbia both times, with an aggregate score of 6-0.