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.”
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