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Before dispatching Andorra on Saturday evening to extend their lead at the top of Group K, the Three Lions recorded three consecutive qualifying victories. The first two came at the end of March, as Albania and Latvia were beaten at Wembley in somewhat underwhelming fashion. An abject performance at Espanyol’s RCDE Stadium then came in June, as Thomas Tuchel’s men toiled to a limp 1-0 victory in their first rendezvous with Koldo Álvarez’s dogged Andorran outfit.
Thanks to a UEFA Nations League play-off contest with Austria, the Serbians made a delayed start to their World Cup qualifying campaign. After a 0-0 stalemate in the Albanian capital, an Aleksandar Mitrović hat-trick ensured the Eagles eased past Andorra at the Dubočica Stadium. Several hours before England’s triumph on Saturday, Serbia narrowly overcame Latvia in Riga thanks to Dušan Vlahović’s early strike.
Tuesday’s match will be televised live on both ITV and STV (Scotland), with kick-off scheduled for 19:45 (BST)
Serbia vs. England: Key information
Date: Tuesday 9th September
Kick-off time: 19:45 (BST)
Venue: Rajko Mitic Stadium, Belgrade
Referee: TBC
VAR: TBC
TV Channels/Live stream: ITV1 and STV (TV), ITVX and STV Player (stream online)
Odds: Serbia: 7/2, Draw: 27/10, England: 3/4
Serbia vs. England team news
Neither coach burdens any fresh injury concerns heading into this week’s encounter, so Dragan Stojković and Thomas Tuchel have a full complement to choose from. As Serbia and England both faced a considerably weaker opponent at the weekend, there will inevitably be some tweaks to tactical set-ups on Tuesday night.
Serbia team news
Dragan Stojković rested several of his big guns for the Latvia clash, but we’ll undoubtedly see a full-strength Serbia at the Rajko Mitic Stadium. The former Nagoya Grampus boss invariably favours a back three, so expect him to utilise the same set-up for the visit of England on Tuesday evening. A central defensive trio of Strahinja Eraković, Nikola Milenković, and Strahinja Pavlović started two of Serbia first three qualifying fixtures, with Nemanja Stojić and Miloš Veljković deputising against Andorra and Latvia respectively.
Đorđe Petrović will once again feature between the sticks, having replaced Al-Ittihad ‘keeper Predrag Rajković following the two UEFA Nations League meetings with Austria. In the middle of the park, Stojković may opt to deploy the more defensive-minded Nemanja Gudelj, as the hosts seek to disrupt England’s attacking rhythm. Pacey wide man Aleksa Terzić has occasionally assumed a central role but will likely play on the left-hand flank, with Andrija Živković and Nemanja Maksimović completing a tight-knit midfield quartet.
It seems inevitable that deadly duo Dušan Vlahović and Aleksandar Mitrović will occupy the two forward positions, with Luka Jović missing out following his recent switch from AC Milan to AEK Athens. Aleksandar Mitrović, who has just sealed an eyebrow-raising move to Qatari Stars League outfit Al-Rayyan, is Serbia’s all-time record scorer. The former Newcastle United marksman has registered a staggering 63 goals for his country, and celebrated his 100th international appearance by netting a quickfire hat-trick against Andorra.
Serbia predicted line-up vs. England (3-4-1-2)
Coach: Dragan Stojković
Đorđe Petrović (GK), Strahinja Eraković, Nikola Milenković, Strahinja Pavlović, Andrija Živković, Nemanja Gudelj, Nemanja
Maksimović, Aleksa Terzić, Lazar Samardžić, Dušan Vlahović, Aleksandar Mitrović
England team news
Thomas Tuchel has been unable to draw on the services of several key players throughout the season’s first international break, with the likes of Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, and Cole Palmer all ruled out through injury. The German tactician opted against selecting former Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, while Jack Grealish was unfortunate not to make the cut. Phil Foden’s recent woes continue, as the Manchester City star continues to struggle with his form and fitness in the opening weeks of the new campaign.
Tuchel has struck with his trusted 4-2-3-1 formation in all three qualifiers, so it’s likely he’ll adopt the same system this weekend. There’s a decision to be made at the back as Ezri Konsa, Dan Burn, Marc Guéhi vie for the two central defensive berths following John Stone’s withdrawal, whilst we wait to see who partners Declan Rice in midfield. Expect youth to trump experience, with Elliot Anderson getting the nod at the expense of veteran maestro Jordan Henderson. The Nottingham Forest ace had never previously earned a senior international cap prior to Saturday evening’s triumph over Andorra, but did help Lee Carsley’s England Under-21 outfit retain the European Championship title at the beginning of the summer.
England predicted line-up vs. Serbia (4-2-3-1)
Coach: Thomas Tuchel
Jordan Pickford (GK), Reece James, Ezri Konsa, Dan Burn, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Elliot Anderson, Declan Rice, Noni Madueke,
Morgan Rogers, Marcus Rashford, Harry Kane
Where to watch on TV or live stream?
ITV will provide live coverage of Tuesday’s contest, having obtained exclusive rights to broadcast every England qualifier until at least June 2028. Programming commences at 7.00pm (BST), with regular commentating duo Sam Matterface and Lee Dixon describing events in Belgrade. The match will also be shown in Scotland on STV, ITV’s sister channel.
Online viewers will be able to catch the action on ITVX and STV player, with a live stream and subsequent full match replay both available.
Head-to-Head record
Although they faced the former Yugoslavia on multiple occasions (and defeated predecessor state Serbia and Montenegro in a 2003 friendly), England’s first-ever meeting with Serbia didn’t come until June 2024. The two teams clashed at last summer’s European Championship, with the Three Lions recording a 1-0 victory in Gelsenkirchen. Serbia subsequently crashed out of the tournament after drawing with Slovenia and Denmark, while Gareth Southgate’s men advanced to the knockout rounds as Group C winners. England would once again conclude the competition as runners-up after losing to Spain in the showpiece, three years on from their heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat to Italy in the Euro 2020 final at Wembley.
Several months before their goalless draw in Albania, the Eagles successfully navigated a two-legged UEFA Nations League play-off against Austria. A draw in Vienna and a 2-0 triumph on home soil enabled them to retain their ‘League A’ status, having finished third in Group A4. Although they boast a 100% record in the current World Cup qualifying campaign, England were soundly beaten by Senegal in June. The 3-1 loss at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground was an eye-opener for Thomas Tuchel, who will now be acutely aware of his team’s key weaknesses.
Odds for Serbia vs. England
England have unsurprisingly been installed as favourites ahead of the tie, although odds of 4/1 for a Serbia victory offer extremely good value. A point wouldn’t be a terrible result for either side, with both opponents hoping to take one step closer to World Cup qualification.
Moneyline odds
The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change. All odds provided by bet365