Jude Bellingham kickstarted England's Euro 2024 campaign with a 1-0 victory against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen, though the performance left lingering doubts about the Three Lions' prospects of securing their first European Championship title.
Bellingham, showcasing his individual brilliance, scored the decisive goal with a header in the 13th minute. Despite his standout performance, England's overall play fell short of the high standards set by Germany and Spain in their respective opening matches.
Heading into the tournament, expectations were sky-high for England, but the team had won just one of their previous five matches, including a 1-0 loss to Iceland in their final warm-up game.
Returning to full strength, Gareth Southgate's squad started strong, reminiscent of their Euro 2020 form. Serbian coach Dragan Stojkovic, who had praised Bellingham as a potential future Ballon d'Or winner, witnessed the Real Madrid midfielder dominate the Serbian midfield.
"I feel like in every game I can make an impact. I can decide a game," said Bellingham. "It's a release for me to play football. It's my favourite thing in the world, so I don't feel any pressure when I go out there."
Bellingham's physical prowess was on display as he initiated the move and finished it with a powerful header from Bukayo Saka's deflected cross.
Despite their dominance in the first half, England struggled to extend their lead. Kyle Walker had a prime opportunity before halftime, but his shot went wide after a long run into the Serbian box.
The second half saw a shift in momentum, with England appearing more defensive and Serbia threatening to capitalize. England's defensive lineup, without Harry Maguire and with Luke Shaw lacking match fitness, faced scrutiny. Marc Guehi, filling in for Maguire, was outpaced by Dusan Vlahovic, who set up Filip Mladenovic for a chance that went unconverted.
Serbia continued to press, with Aleksandar Mitrovic's penalty claim dismissed and Luka Jovic failing to control Dusan Tadic's pass for another opportunity.
"Second half we didn't keep it as well as I would have liked, but to get the win is very important," said Southgate. "We had to suffer a bit. I think to defend the box the way we did was really good for us."
Southgate introduced Conor Gallagher and Jarrod Bowen to regain control. Bowen's cross led to Harry Kane's header, which was expertly saved by Serbian goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic, frustrating the Bayern Munich striker.
Kane's most crucial contribution came defensively, heading away Veljko Birmancevic's goal-bound shot. Jordan Pickford made a late save from Vlahovic's dipping drive, securing England's win.
While England secured three points, their performance lacked the dominance expected from pre-tournament favorites.
