June 17th 2024.
In their opening game at Euro 2024, England faced a tough challenge against Serbia and managed to secure a 1-0 victory. However, their performance did not exactly leave their rivals trembling with fear. It only took 13 minutes for Jude Bellingham to score the first goal, heading in a cross from Bukayo Saka and giving England a perfect start to the tournament.
At this point, it seemed like the Three Lions might go on to dominate the game and follow in the footsteps of other strong teams like Spain, Italy, and host country Germany, who all made a statement in their opening matches. But as the game progressed, England's performance was underwhelming and Serbia even had opportunities to equalize and deny England the top spot in Group C.
Despite ultimately coming out with a win, England's performance was heavily criticized by European media. The French outlet L'Equipe, known for their harsh ratings, gave only one standout player, Bellingham, and a low score of 3/10 to John Stones. Other players like Harry Kane, Phil Foden, Marc Guehi, and Kieran Trippier received mediocre ratings of 5/10.
L'Equipe also pointed out that Manchester City defender Stones struggled against Serbia's Dusan Vlahovic, possibly due to his recent battles with injury and illness. Meanwhile, Germany's Bild stated that if England hopes to become European champions, they will need to significantly improve their game. They also highlighted Bellingham as the one bright spot for the Three Lions.
Spanish newspapers Marca and Mundo Deportivo echoed this sentiment, noting that there was not much else to praise from England's perspective besides Bellingham's impressive performance. L'Equipe also criticized England's overall play as "dull" and warned that they would face a tough challenge against stronger opponents.
After their tense opener against Serbia, England now has their sights set on their upcoming match against Denmark on Thursday and their final group game against Slovenia a week from Tuesday. Manager Gareth Southgate, who is hoping to lead England to their first major trophy since 1966, admitted that his team struggled against Serbia but was overall pleased with their performance.
"They are a strong team and it was important for us to suffer a bit," Southgate said. "I think we defended the box really well and there were many aspects of our play that I was really pleased with. We may not have kept possession as well as I would have liked in the second half, but getting the win was crucial."
Southgate also praised Bellingham's performance, saying that he "writes his own script" and highlighting his well-timed runs and involvement in the build-up to his goal. The manager also expressed confidence in England's attacking abilities and their ability to create chances, despite facing a tough opponent.
"I liked the fact that we had to defend without the ball because it's an area we've been working on a lot this week," Southgate added. "We were much better at it than last week. I believe we will continue to improve and score goals."
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