England are coming into the game vs Serbia on the back of four consecutive victories, and they are full of confidence and momentum right now. The Three Lions are undoubtedly the better team, and they should be able to grind out all three points.
Thomas Tuchel’s charges are in impressive form right now. The home side have picked up six wins out of the last six World Cup qualifiers, and they are yet to concede a single goal. On the other hand, Serbia are third in the standings with three wins out of six matches.
The visitors have been quite vulnerable defensively, and this could be a difficult outing for them. The last time these two sides met, England picked up a 5-0 win away from home. They will look to repeat that performance here and grind out a comfortable victory. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Nick Pope (concussion), Marc Guehi (foot injury) and Anthony Gordon (hip problem) have withdrawn from the squad. Other than that, England have a fully fit-squad to choose from ahead of the game vs Serbia.
England are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Serbia, with Jordan Pickford in goal. Reece James and Djed Spence will start as the full-backs. They will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Meanwhile, Ezri Konsa will form the central defensive partnership alongside Dan Burn.
As for the midfield unit, Declan Rice will start in the double pivot in the middle of the park alongside Jordan Henderson. They will look to control the game from deep and provide defensive cover to the side.
Eberechi Eze will start as the attacking midfielder, and he will look to create opportunities for his teammates. Bukayo Saka and Morgan Rogers will add pace, flair, and unpredictability to the England attack from the wide areas. Finally, Harry Kane will lead the line for England vs Serbia on Thursday.
Probable England Lineup (4-2-3-1): Pickford; James, Konsa, Burn, Spence; Rice, Henderson; Saka, Eze, Rogers; Kane
Aleksandar Mitrovic is ruled out for the away side. Additionally, Nemanja Maksimovic, Stefan Mitrovic, and Uros Racic are notable absentees for the visitors. Serbia are likely to shape up in a 3-5-2 formation vs England, with Djordje Petrovic in goal.
In the back three, Nikola Milenkovic will start alongside Strahinja Pavlovic and Milos Veljkovic. Ognjen Mimovic and Filip Kostic will start as the wing-backs. They will look to keep things tight defensively and hit England on the break.
As for the midfield unit, Nemanja Gudelj, Lazar Samardzic, and Aleksandar Stankovic will start in the middle of the park. They will look to add physicality and defensive cover to the side. Finally, Dusan Vlahovic and Luka Jovic will lead the line for Serbia.
Probable Serbia Lineup (3-5-2): Petrovic; Milenkovic, Pavlovic, Veljkovic; Mimovic, Gudelj, Samardzic, Stankovic, Kostic; Vlahovic, Jovic
The England captain is our key player to watch out for. The hosts are the better team here, and they are likely to create multiple opportunities. Serbia have been vulnerable defensively, and Kane will have plenty of opportunities to get on the score sheet.
The veteran striker is likely to make a defining impact in the final third. He is in spectacular form for club and country this season. He will look to add to his goal tally and create opportunities for his teammates as well.
The gulf in class between the two teams is quite significant, and England should be able to pick up a comfortable victory at home. The Three Lions managed to pick up a 5-0 win over Serbia in September, and they will look to pick up a similar result here.
The hosts are the team in form, and they should be able to crush the Serbian defence here. The visitors have been quite inconsistent in their recent outings, and their defensive unit is likely to let them down. The Hard Tackle predicts a 4-0 win for Thomas Tuchel and his charges.
