Euro 2024 LIVE: Latest news and reaction after Jude Bellingham gives England win over Serbia
The Three Lions opened their campaign with a 1-0 triumph to move to the top of Group C
England kicked off their Euro 2024 tournament with a 1-0 victory over Serbia in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday evening. Jude Bellingham started then finished a flowing move in the 12th minute to head the Three Lions into the lead and they saw out the rest of the game despite constant pressure from their opponents.
That victory moved them to the top of Group following an earlier draw between Denmark and Slovenia with the focus now switching to the match against the Danes on Thursday. A second win there and England will be through to the knockout rounds with one game to spare.
Gareth Southgate was pleased with the result and admitted that his team will benefit from the defensive test Serbia put them through, especially in the second half. He said: “That’s the reality of tournaments, they’re a strong team. We had to suffer a bit, which I think is really good for us, to come through and defend our box the way we did. The pressure was important for the group.”
Follow all the latest reaction and updates from Euro 2024 below:
England sit top of Group C
With victory over Serbia, England are now top of their group after a draw between Slovenia and Denmark yesterday. The Three Lions take on the Danes in their next match and a win there will be enough to bag them a place in the knockout rounds with a game to spare.
Here are the remaining Group C fixtures:
Thursday 20 June
Slovenia vs Serbia (14:00)
Denmark v England (17:00)
Tuesday 25 June
England vs Slovenia (20:00)
Denmark vs Serbia (20:00)
Jude Bellingham goal gives England win over Serbia
In case you were busy yesterday and missed the match, here’s how England defeated Serbia. Jude Bellingham popping up in the box during the 12th minute:
Harry Kane on Jude Bellingham’s impact
Here’s what the England captain had to say about Jude Bellingham following the team’s 1-0 win over Serbia.
“[He’s an] unbelievable player,” Kane told the BBC after the match, “He deserves all the praise he’s getting at the moment.
“The confidence he plays with and the way he affects games – it’s important for players playing in his position to get goals and assists, and that’s what he does. He got in the box and finished it off nicely.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game. Serbia posed some tough threats – they are very physical. But overall, it went really well, and I think we deserved the win. In the group, it is just about getting through so it was an important win tonight.”
Harry Kane hails ‘unbelievable’ Jude Bellingham after England edge out Serbia
Harry Kane hailed the talent of the “unbelievable” Jude Bellingham after the midfielder’s decisive header in England’s win over Serbia.
Gareth Southgate’s side kicked off their Euro 2024 campaign with a 1-0 victory in Gelsenkirchen, surviving a tough test against a physical opposing side.
Serbia threatened to fight back in the second half having been outplayed across the first 45 minutes, but a crucial Jordan Pickford save ensured that Bellingham’s powerful early finish secured all three points.
Harry Kane hails ‘unbelievable’ Jude Bellingham after England edge out Serbia
Jude Bellingham is Gareth Southgate’s cheat code but other issues stifle England
A flawless record continues, with some blemishes. Gareth Southgate’s England again won a tournament opening game, on the fourth of four such occasions. This occasionally awkward 1-0 win over Serbia certainly wasn’t to the level of Germany’s 5-1 thrashing of Scotland, and will raise new questions over what England need to do to get to that level. Jude Bellingham, naturally the match-winner, is one of the few parts of this team where there is absolutely no doubt. His early headed goal was the perfect illustration of that. Beyond that, though, Southgate has a bit to think about.
He knew that himself, of course. The England manager warned on the eve of the game that not every team would start like Germany, and made a point of stating the number of issues he has inherited going into Euro 2024.
Any tournament is a voyage of discovery in that regard, but Southgate still has a lot to figure out.
Jude Bellingham is Gareth Southgate’s cheat code but other issues stifle England
Good morning!
Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of Euro 2024. England opened their account beautifully on Sunday evening as they defeated Serbia 1-0 to kick off their campaign with a win.
Though Jude Bellingham’s decisive goal was a moment of style and class from the Three Lions they struggled to assert their dominance on the game and had to rely on goalkeeper Jordan Pickford to ensure they got over the line.
Still, they collected three points and now sit top of Group C ahead of a crucial match versus Denmark on Thursday. We’ll have all the reaction to England’s victory plus build-up to today’s matches so stick with us throughout the day.
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