Jude Bellingham knows England have some ‘negatives to erase’ but believes there is more to come as he focused on the positives after Gareth Southgate’s side dug deep to win the opening match of Euro 2024 on Sunday against Serbia.
Among the favorites to triumph in Germany after finishing second three years ago, they flew to Gelsenkirchen to begin their quest for glory this summer.
Bellingham’s powerful header put dominant England in control, but Serbia intervened after the break and Southgate’s side sweated it out to claim a 1-0 victory.
The result puts them top of Group C and Sunday’s man of the match rejected the notion that the first half showed why they can win the Euros and the second half why they might fail.
“No, not quite, I don’t agree with that,” Bellingham said. “I think the first half shows why we can score goals against any team, and the second half shows why we can keep a clean sheet against any team.
“I think obviously on the team there’s a negative theme around all of our games. You know, sometimes rightly so. But I think in this case you take the positive out of the fact that, OK, Maybe we had to hold on at times and suffered a bit, but we kept a clean sheet.
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Lee Hendrie analyzes England’s performance as Gareth Southgate’s side beat Serbia 1-0 in their Euro 2024 opener
“When you keep a clean sheet, all you have to do is score a goal to win the game. That’s three points, I think this team is still so new, getting stronger with each game.
“So, yeah, I think inside the locker room we’ll be happy with it. Of course, there will be some negatives that we’ll want to erase, but overall I’m happy with this performance.”
It’s not a role he’s played much before, but he showed great discipline and moments of his fabulous passing range. We are learning with him in this role and he has shown some of the attributes we are looking for. Whoever we play there, we will face a young or inexperienced player. It was great to see him pass this test.
“I feel like I can have an impact and decide matches”
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Jude Bellingham’s goal celebration with Trent Alexander-Arnold against Serbia explained!
Bellingham starred as England won a fourth consecutive opening match of the tournament, displaying strength, skill and confidence against physical opponents.
Telling the 20-year-old he seems unfazed as he looks to help the Euro 2020 finalists go one better, he said: “I just like playing football.
“When it comes to each game, I look at it as one game, instead of looking too far into the future. I realize that in every game I feel like I can make an impact, I I feel like I can decide the matches.
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England fans across the country are celebrating Jude Bellingham’s goal in their opening Euro 2024 match against Serbia.
“But it happens on any given play instead of looking too far into the future.
“The truth is that I really love playing football, so when I go out there I play with fearlessness because I love doing it so much.
“It’s liberating for me and it’s my favorite thing to do in the world, so when I play, it’s not really work. It’s like fun.”
Southgate: Bellingham ‘writes his own script’ as he lifts England to opening victory
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Lee Hendrie calls Jude’s Bellingham’s performance in England’s win over Serbia “remarkable”.
Southgate said star midfielder Bellingham is “writing his own script” after helping England make a winning start to the tournament.
“Look, this team is still coming together,” manager Southgate said. “Everyone expects us to succeed, but there is a lot of work to do.
Jude Bellingham played in England’s 1-0 win over Serbia at Euro 2024
“We are missing some things, we are finding the best possible solutions.
“We had a very complicated time before all this, but the spirit of the group was there, visible to everyone tonight and we will definitely grow from that.”
Jude is an incredible player. He deserves all the praise, the confidence he plays with and the way he affects games. It is important that the players who play in his place score goals and assists. He finished it well.
Bellingham embodied the spirit and skills that England will need to go deep in the tournament, with Southgate full of praise for the match-winner.
“He writes his own script,” he told the BBC. “The timing of his runs. It was a great moment of play in the preparation of his game. I think all our attackers looked really good.
Jude Bellingham celebrates after leading England past Serbia
“I am confident that we will score goals. Playing against five defenders, it is not easy to create chances and we did it.
“I liked the fact that we had to suffer without the ball because that’s an area we worked on a lot this week. We were obviously a lot better than last week in that area.”
‘England must find a way to change things’
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Paul Merson admits he was ‘bored’ by much of England’s performance in their Euro 2024 opener against Serbia
Paul Merson from Sky Sports:
“What we have seen has become the norm in recent years.
“England started so well. For the first 15 minutes or so they were exceptional. They were patient, passed the ball well and there was a lot of movement. There was a lot of good play.
“They then scored the goal, then got bored. They got tired of keeping the ball. We started losing possession and giving the ball away cheaply, which allowed Serbia to take the lead towards the end of the first half.
Harry Kane avoids a challenge from Nikola Milenkovic
“Luckily half-time came for England, but they never really got going after the break. Towards the end of the game I thought the players were hiding. Nobody really wanted the ball like Bellingham did while he was on the field.
“We never seem to know how to turn things around in a game. We start games well, then everything slows down and we don’t play very well, but we can never take that from not good to good. It stays at that level . for the rest of the game.
“We have to learn and find a way to change things. However, it is a good result. There is still a lot to work on, but we have three points and with the other draw we control the score in the group.
“What it probably did was put the fans down a point or two, myself included. It’s not going to be as easy as I thought for England.”
Analysis: Familiar concerns emerge for England
Phil Foden had a tricky evening against Serbia
Peter Smith from Sky Sports:
“England fans have seen this game before. A fast start followed by the team relinquishing control and Southgate sitting on his substitutes became a familiar pattern. Against Serbia – and on many previous occasions – England found a way to cross the finish line But that’s not a recipe for tournament glory.
“England went from convincing to worrying in this opening match. The authority and dominance of the first half hour turned to panic at the end, as Serbia stepped up.
“For all the talk of England’s attacking strengths in this team, they once again fell deep and hung on until the final whistle. This was not the mark of European champions in waiting .
“But three points are at stake. A place in the last 16 is all but assured. And it’s time to find a way to play with their early swagger for 90 minutes. But that approach has to come from the top. Southgate must set that tone.”
Key dates for England
Kane had a frustrating evening against Serbia
All times BST
Thursday June 20 – Denmark vs England, Frankfurt, kick-off at 5 p.m.
Tuesday June 25 – England vs Slovenia, kick-off at 8 p.m.
