Serbia is back on the European stage after a long absence, making its return to the UEFA European Championship 2024 with a challenging opening match against England. The Group C encounter, scheduled for Sunday at the Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen, marks Serbia’s first appearance in the final tournament since 2000, when they reached the quarter-finals. In contrast, England is making its fourth consecutive appearance, having finished as runner-up in the 2020 edition.
This match will be a rematch of sorts, as the two teams last met in a friendly in Leicester on June 3, 2003. England emerged victorious in that encounter, winning 2-1. Steven Gerrard opened the scoring for Sven-Göran Eriksson’s side in the 35th minute, but Nenad Jestrović equalized for Serbia and Montenegro, then coached by Dejan Savićević, ten minutes later. However, substitute Joe Cole sealed the win for England with a goal seven minutes from time.
Historically, England has dominated the series, winning the last four matches between the two teams. This includes a 2-0 victory in London and a 4-1 triumph in Belgrade during qualifying for the 1988 European Championship. As Serbia returns to the European stage, they will be looking to put up a strong fight against their formidable opponent, England, in their first group match. The outcome of this encounter will be crucial for both teams as they aim to progress to the knockout rounds of the tournament.
