Bellingham secures win for England in nervy opener against Serbia
OPENING GOAL: England's Jude Bellingham celebrates scoring the only goal of the game against Serbia.
“Don't carry the world on your shoulders”, was the advice Paul McCartney gave in Hey Jude, a refrain that rang round Gelsenkirchen as Jude Bellingham inspired England to a deserved but nervy opening victory over Serbia.
The Real Madrid man, not yet 21, looks like he is ready to take on the burden of carrying England's hopes and dreams, scoring the game's only goal after 13 minutes and running the show for the best part of an hour, before Serbia came back to scare Gareth Southgate's men in the closing stages.
Once again England started a tournament in underwhelming fashion against modest opposition, and several key players did not live up to their star billing. But as long as they have the world-class Bellingham, they can justify their position as pre-tournament favourites.
It was not just his goal but his all-round performance that was so impressive against a Serbia side that had no idea how to handle him, particularly in the first half.
Southgate had gone with an attacking formation, putting Trent Alexander-Arnold alongside Declan Rice at the base of midfield in order to allow England's front four to run wild, and while they started strongly, with Bellingham scoring early on, they hardly played with the handbrake off, as some had hoped for in advance.
The gameplan was more about passing, keeping possession and being patient, but England's fans, who had arrived in rainy Gelesenkirchen in droves, did not have to wait long for a goal. Southgate suspected a combination of Kyle Walker, Alexander-Arnold and Bukayo Saka could cause chaos down the right, and he was not wrong. Walker played an incisive pass inside Saka's marker, the Arsenal man galloped to the byline and chipped a cross into the heart of the penalty area.
Where once Harry Kane would have been the target, now it is the late arrival of Bellingham that England's wide men are looking for, and he did not disappoint. Just as he has done so often for Real Madrid this season, Bellingham timed his run from deep to perfection, meeting Saka's cross with a diving header from 6 yards that was measured at 61 miles per hour according to UEFA statistics.
Bellingham did his trademark celebration, arms spread wide, chest out, as England's fans celebrated noisily. When they build a statue to him in his native west Midlands, as seems inevitable, this will surely be the pose.
Sometimes you have to remember he is only 20, the youngest member of the team, yet he shows maturity far beyond his years in so many aspects of his game, not least cajoling his team-mates and pointing out which passes are on, like a traffic cop, calm as can be while everything around him is moving at speed.
He was everywhere, right, left, dropping deep, closing down Serbia's defence and making clearances when required. The Serbian response was simplistic, and he took more than his fair share of punishment from a team that are not afraid to dish it out.
Kane had a physical and frustrating running battle with Nikola Milenkovic, the big Fiorentina defender, and England's captain barely had a meaningful touch of the ball in the first half. Instead it was Bellingham and the widemen who showed the biggest threat. Walker went rampaging forward but was caught in two minds when one-on-one with Predrag Rajkovic, dragging a shot wide of the far post when he should have squared the ball for Kane. Saka overhit a couple of crosses from the right, Alexander-Arnold smashed a free-kick into Serbia's defensive wall, and Rice, who was oustanding at the base of midfield, could not convert a close-range chance.
Serbia were on the backfoot for most of the first half and their only chance of note arose when Alexander-Arnold lost possession 30 yards from goal and Aleksandr Mitrovic shot tamely wide. The former Fulham and Newcastle striker has a superb record in international football, with 58 goals in his 91 previous games for Serbia, but it was not his night and he was replaced by Dusan Tadic shortly after half-heartedly claiming a penalty on the hour mark.
Serbia were certainly more threatening after the break, with Dragan Stojkovic changing his personnel to a more attacking line-up. England started to look rattled and the fluidity of their earlier play was more sporadic as Bellingham started to fade. Southgate recognised a need to regain control of midfield and sent on Conor Gallagher to replace Alexander-Arnold.
Kane started to have more of an influence, too, holding the ball up front and winning free-kicks to give his team-mates a breather. One conundrum Southgate still has to address is how to get the best out of Phil Foden, who had another off night in an England shirt. The Manchester City man is so influential and effective for his club playing as a number ten, but with Bellingham having that number and position for England, Foden is forced wide on the left,where he is less dangerous. But it was Saka that Southgate chose to replace next, sending on Jarrod Bowen, who was soon involved by crossing from the right for Kane to power in a header that Rajkovic did well to tip on to the crossbar from close range.
The game became ragged and the chances of Serbia snatching an equaliser increaed. Dusan Vlahovic, otherwise quiet, seized on a loose ball 25 yards from goal and fired in a shot that Jordan Pickford had to tip over the bar. From the resulting corner, a tricky, bouncing shot from long range was headed clear by Kane, standing just in front of his own goal-line.
Bellingham had one last flourish, turning his marker neatly, before being replaced by Kobbie Mainoo in the closing minutes.
Serbia still threatened, with Sergej Milinko-Savic firing a long shot just over the angle of post and crossbar, but that was as close as they came and England's celebrations at the final whistle were led by Bellingham -who else?
):Rajkovic 7; Veljkovic 6, Milenkovic 7, Pavlovic 7; Zivkovic 6 (Birmančević 75), Milinko-Savic 6, Gudelj 5 (Ilic 46), Lukic 6 (Jovic 61), Kostic 6 (Mladonovic 43); Vlhaovic 6, Mitrovic 6 (Tadic 61)
: Pickford 7; Walker 7, Stones 7, Guehi 7, Trippier 6; Alexander-Arnold 6 (Gallagher 69), Rice 8; Saka 8 (Bowen 76), Bellingham 9 (Mainoo 86), Foden 6; Kane 6
: Daniele Orsato (Italy) 8/10
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