England 2-0 Serbia: Saka and Eze Score as Three Lions See Off the Eagles with Ease

Adam Dedman

Sports Journalist

England sees off Serbia with goals from Arsenal duo, Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze, conceding zero goals to maintain a goalless defensive record. 

Thomas Tuchel’s England side breezes past Serbia with a 2-0 win to maintain a perfect record, winning seven out of seven games and conceding zero goals. 

On the other hand, Veljko Paunović’s first night as Eagles’ manager ends in deep sadness as qualifying hopes are over. This is due to Albania beating Andorra 1-0 to go four points clear of their continental rivals, making it impossible for Serbia to catch Sylvinho’s side with one game left for both sides.

Match Events - As it happened

England put the pressure on early doors, with both flanks seeing the ball thanks to long and direct passes from midfield, as Barcelona’s Marcus Rashford and Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka tested Serbia’s defence in 1v1 situations. 

Inside 10 minutes, Tuchel’s side had seen nearly 63% possession, dominating the ball with Serbia really struggling to get a foot in the game. 

Reinforcing the wide danger from Saka and Rashford, the pair got the first two shots on goal for England, with the Arsenal man skying his effort over the bar in the 19th minute after completing his trademark cut-inside, whilst Barcelona’s man attempted to bend his effort into the far corner but was saved by the opposing keeper, Predrag Rajković, in the 25th minute. 

Shortly after Rashford’s shot on target, Saka broke the deadlock through a well-finished volley that came off the winger’s shin. The opportunity came from a rare Declan Rice poor delivery and even worse punched clearance by Rajković, which fell to debutant Nico O’Reilly, whose shot deflected to Saka. 

This could have all been completely avoided if Rajković simply caught the ball from Declan Rice’s free kick, especially since he was untested by any England players.

Rashford saw another goal attempt hit the target after picking Torino midfielder Ivan Ilić’s pocket. Sadly, Ilić’s night was called short as he immediately went down after losing the ball, looking in severe discomfort, holding his knee, so he was substituted for Aleksandar Stanković. 

The first half didn’t bring too much entertainment for the home fans, with only one shot converted and a few chances, but it is safe to say the Three Lions were in cruise control despite the scoreline being tight, with Saka’s goal separating the two sides.

The second half didn’t live up to too much hype either, with chances coming mostly inside Serbia’s final third; however, Serbia did come knocking through close chances from Vlahović and Samardžić.

Home fans were excited to see the inception of Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Eberechi Eze in the 65th minute, with Tuchel also bringing on the experienced Jordan Henderson, who wore the captain’s armband for the remainder of the game, proving why he has been selected for the country. 

Wembley Stadium had to wait till the final minutes of the game for the second and final goal of the match as substitute Eberechi Eze finished emphatically in the top corner of the Serbian net with no chance for Rajković to get anywhere near saving the shot.

It was a well-worked and deserved goal for England in which started from Jude Bellingham winning the ball back in his own half, then advancing the ball to teammate Phil Foden, who played the ball into Eze’s path, making it easier to shoot first time on his stronger foot.

Minutes later, referee Ivan Kružliak blew for full-time with England taking their point tally in Group K to 21 points as the Three Lions look to maintain their perfect form against Albania on Sunday.

But Veljko Paunović’s debut as Serbia's head coach ends in pain as qualifying hopes are crushed, so the Eagles’ match against Latvia will be one of pride, hoping to show an inspiring end to this disappointing qualifying campaign. 

Ratings

• Player of the Match: Bukayo Saka 8
• Team Ratings: Serbia 4 | England 7
• Manager Ratings: Veljko Paunović 4 | Thomas Tuchel 8