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UEFA EURO 2024 Group Stage
17 June, 2024 - Indian Date
Arena AufSchalke
MATCH TIMES
India
12:30 AM
UAE
11:00 PM
Saudi Arabia
09:45 PM
MATCH LIVE INFO
England possible starting lineup: Pickford; Walker, Stones, Guehi, Trippier; Alexander-Arnold, Rice; Saka, Bellingham, Foden; Kane
Serbia possible starting lineup: V. Milinkovic-Savic; Veljkovic, Milenkovic, Pavlovic; Zivkovic, Maksimovic, Lukic, Kostic; S. Milinkovic-Savic, Tadic; Mitrovic
Match Preview
England's quest to erase the memories of their Euro 2020 heartbreak begins on Sunday night at the Veltins-Arena, where they will face Serbia in their Euro 2024 Group C opener. Neither nation has yet to win the Henri Delaunay Trophy, and with Denmark and Slovenia also in the group, the battle for knockout stage places is fierce.
Serbia, making their European Championship debut as an independent nation, comes in with a mixed qualifying campaign under head coach Dragan Stojkovic. They secured their place in the finals by finishing second in their group behind Hungary, with a record of four wins from eight matches. Key players include Dusan Vlahovic, Dusan Tadic, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, and Aleksandar Mitrovic. Despite inconsistent form, Serbia has shown promise in recent friendlies, defeating Cyprus 1-0 and Sweden 3-0, while narrowly losing to Austria.
England, led by Gareth Southgate, are determined to put their Euro 2020 final defeat behind them. Southgate, who has faced criticism and speculation about his future, guided England through an unbeaten qualification campaign. However, recent form has been unconvincing, with just one win in their last five matches, including a lackluster 3-0 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina and a 1-0 loss to Iceland.
Serbia enters the match with a fully fit squad, giving Stojkovic the luxury of choice, particularly in attack. He may choose to deploy Tadic in a more advanced role while managing the striking partnership of Vlahovic and Mitrovic. Midfielder Nemanja Maksimovic is expected to return after a head injury, and Milos Veljkovic is set to reinforce the defense.
For England, Southgate's primary concern is the health of key defender John Stones, who has recovered from illness and an ankle injury. The only absentee is Luke Shaw, still recovering from a muscle problem, with Kieran Trippier likely to start on the left. Star attackers Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka are expected to feature prominently, and Trent Alexander-Arnold may continue in a midfield role after impressing against Bosnia.
As England takes on Serbia for the first time since Yugoslavia's breakup, the Three Lions aim to start their Euro 2024 campaign with a strong performance, hoping to shake off recent disappointments and establish themselves as serious contenders for the title.