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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:
Slovenia vs Serbia (14:00)
Denmark v England (17:00)
England vs Slovenia (20:00)
Denmark vs Serbia (20:00)
Mike Jones17 June 2024 09:33
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:
Mike Jones17 June 2024 09:28
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.”
Mike Jones17 June 2024 09:24
Harry Kane hails ‘unbelievable’ Jude Bellingham after England edge out Serbia
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.
Mike Jones17 June 2024 09:19
Jude Bellingham is Gareth Southgate’s cheat code but other issues stifle England
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.
Mike Jones17 June 2024 09:12
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.
Mike Jones17 June 2024 09:00