EURO 2024, Group C – After Bellingham’s header, not much more comes from England – Sport

• England starts EURO 2024 with a 1-0 win against Serbia.
• Jude Bellingham scored the goal of the evening with a header in the 13th minute.
• In the second match of Group C, Denmark and Slovenia drew 1:1.

The “Three Lions” made a successful start to the tournament. Against a Serb team that rarely threatened offensively, the English controlled the game for long stretches. England could rely on Jude Bellingham. The 20-year-old from Champions League winners Real Madrid took control of the game and was omnipresent until he was substituted (86th minute). He organized the game going forward and also kept ironing things out at the back.

Bellingham also demonstrated his goal-scoring qualities as he has done so often in recent months.

• 13 minutes: Arsenal star Bukayo Saka pushes through on the right, his deflected cross lands in the six-yard box, where Bellingham finishes with a powerful header.

Coach Gareth Southgate’s team exerted a lot of pressure, particularly on the right side. Full-back Kyle Walker and especially the lively Saka posed major problems for the Serbs. Only captain Harry Kane (1 touch of the ball in the entire first half) barely got into the game until the final quarter of an hour.

• 77th minute: Bayern striker Kane, who is leaning on the ball, heads a cross from substitute Jarrod Bowen towards the goal. Serbian goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic just manages to deflect the ball onto the crossbar.

The English team’s performance deteriorated noticeably as the match progressed and they settled for a minimalist performance. Their passive attitude could have backfired against a more inspired opponent.

Serbia tries hard after the break

Overall, the Serbs did not do enough. At least: Coach Dragan Stojkovic’s team played much more aggressively after the break and applied offensive pressing.

As a result, it was no longer as easy for England to launch an attack as it had been before. However, England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was only seriously tested late on.

• 80th minute: Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic, who has been pale for a long time, forces Pickford to make a brilliant save.

• 82nd minute: Captain Kane heads a shot from Veljko Birmancevic out of the danger zone.

The match offered few highlights, but remained fair until the end. Before the match, there were riots between the two fan camps in Gelsenkirchen. According to the police, seven Serbian fans were taken into custody. A police spokesman told the news agency that a complaint had been filed against one of these supporters for grievous bodily harm. AFPBeer with reduced alcohol content was served in the stadium.

This is how it continues

The second matchday in Group C is on Thursday. Serbia will face Slovenia in Munich (kick-off 3:00 p.m.), while England will face Denmark in Frankfurt (kick-off 6:00 p.m.).