Serbia take on England in the round 1 match of UEFA Euro-2024 in group C. The match will be played on Sunday, June 16th at Veltins Arena (Gelsenkirchen).
Serbia are entering their second cycle under Dragan Stojković. Previously a local football legend, "Piksi" started his managerial career with a bang. He led Serbia to top Portugal in their World Cup qualifying group and then won their Nations League group. However, the team had a disappointing World Cup in Qatar, failing to advance to the knockout stages, which is a recurring issue for them. Stojković’s past achievements and reputation were enough to keep him in his role as head coach. Last year, he successfully led the team to qualify directly for the Euros, despite losing both matches to Hungary and drawing both games against Bulgaria. Fortunately, they managed to secure maximum points against their direct competitors, Montenegro. In 2024, Serbia's performance has been inconsistent, with losses to Russia and Austria, but wins against Cyprus and Sweden.
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England once again raises concerns among fans. Under Gareth Southgate, the "Three Lions" reached the semifinals of the 2018 World Cup and narrowly lost to Italy in the Euro final, only on penalties. However, they faced a significant setback, finishing fourth in the Nations League and experiencing a relatively early exit at the World Cup in Qatar. Southgate remains the manager, and last year, his team comfortably won their qualifying group, defeating Italy twice. Nevertheless, as soon as the tournament pressure eased, problems began to surface. In the final round, with their qualification already secured, England drew with North Macedonia. Subsequent matches saw a 0-1 loss to Brazil in March and a 2-2 draw with Belgium, thanks to a late goal from Bellingham. Over the summer, a 3-0 thrashing of Bosnia was followed by a surprising 0-1 defeat to Iceland in London. Fans can only hope these setbacks will lead to greater focus as the tournament approaches, and that the team's lackluster performances will end.
Incredibly, this will be the first time in history that England will face Serbia (not Yugoslavia or any of its successors) in Hamburg. The British team needs to demonstrate at the Euros that they can and will play at a higher level than they have shown in recent friendlies. We are backing England to win with a handicap of "-1 goal."
Prediction for the match: England to win with -1.0 handicap.
