England to edge tense Euros opener against Serbia
ENGLAND were dealt a blow when they lost their final pre-tournament friendly to Iceland last week but are firm favourites for their opening Euro 2024 game against Serbia, priced at 4/9 with Star Sports. It is easy to see why, with Gareth Southgate blessed with a wealth of attacking talents.
Despite the notable absences of the likes of Jack Grealish and James Maddison from his squad, Southgate can rely on captain Harry Kane, Real Madrid sensation Jude Bellingham and Premier League Player of the Year Phil Foden to get the Three Lions over the line in what is likely to be a tight encounter.
Serbia are competing at a European Championship for the first time as an independent nation and are understandably a lengthy 6/1 but will be no pushovers. Their final warm-up game saw them comfortable 3-0 winners over Sweden and they have plenty of experience in their ranks. Sunday’s game may well be a cagey affair and recent form suggests England will make a slow start. They have only won one of their last five games and have not been leading at half-time in any of those matches.
At Euro 2020, England began their campaign with a narrow 1-0 win over Croatia, as Raheem Sterling’s second-half effort was needed to break the deadlock. So 31/10 in the Draw half-time/England full-time market looks the way to go. If England do fail to win, Star Sports are offering 50% back as a free bet on losing Correct Score, First Goalscorer and Anytime Scorer bets.
If there is to be a goalscorer, it is likely to be Harry Kane. The Bayern Munich striker has notched in his last two appearances at a major tournament, against Senegal and France at the 2022 World Cup. However, England’s all-time top scorer did notably miss a penalty against Les Bleus as Southgate’s side exited in a 2-1 defeat. At Euro 2020, Kane struck four times in seven outings and is 13/5 to score first at Schalke’s Veltins Arena.
For Serbia, Mitrovic netted five goals in qualifying and has shown his pedigree in the Premier League at Fulham, before moving to Al-Hilal last summer. The 29-year-old scored 40 times in 43 appearances in Saudi Arabia and also bagged two in three games at the 2022 World Cup. In qualifying, the Serbs scored 30% of their goals from headers – the highest ratio of any team to reach the finals in Germany. For those looking for a big price, Mitrovic, a real threat in the air, is 13/2 with Star Sports to score a header at any time.
Outside of Kane and Mitrovic, the first goalscorer market looks wide open, with England lacking players who have made their mark at international level. Bukayo Saka has struck 11 times for England but is an injury doubt while Phil Foden has only four goals from his 34 games under Southgate. Some may like the claims of Jude Bellingham at 21/4 as he’s swept all before him in his debut season for Real Madrid, scoring 23 times, and looks set to bring his Champions League-winning form to the Euros. The ex-Borussia Dortmund midfielder will have no nerves playing in Germany and is likely to make a fast start to the tournament. He netted on his World Cup debut against Iran two years ago and although I’ll sit this market out, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Bellingham find the net.
POINTERS
Draw HT/England FT Serbia vs England, June 16th