IMPRESSIVE ENGLAND WIN SEVENTH STRAIGHT GAME
England’s extraordinary record in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup continued as they made it seven wins from seven with a 2-0 victory over Serbia at Wembley thanks to goals from Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze, denying the visitors a chance to finish runners-up in the group in the process.
England manager Thomas Tuchel opted to continue with Morgan Rogers at No. 10 from the start, despite Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden returning to the squad, and the Aston Villa midfielder was impressive again as The Three Lions largely controlled the first half at a subdued Wembley Stadium.
It was Bukayo Saka who gave England the lead on 29 minutes, cushioning in an excellent volleyed shot from the right side of the box after an effort by debutant Nico O’Reilly had looped up to him.
And both teams wasted chances for the following hour, with Serbia increasingly coming into the game as the second half progressed.
Tuchel turned to his bench midway through the second period, introducing Bellingham, Foden, Eze and Jordan Henderson, with Adam Wharton being the fifth change late on.
And the energy off the bench saw England create several chances later on as the game opened up, with Serbia knowing that they needed a positive result to keep their chances of claiming a play-off spot alive.
However, England kept Serbia at bay, continuing their flawless defensive record with a seventh consecutive clean sheet in qualifying. And it was England who bagged the late goal on the counter, with Foden, playing in an experimental striker role, feeding Eze for a lovely finish.
Serbia’s defeat, coupled with a win for Albania in Andorra, means it will be the Albanians who finish second in the group and head into the play-offs, although Serbia could still technically join them depending on the final permutations based on Nations League rankings.
England’s Group K campaign comes to a close on Sunday when they travel to Albania for a game that has little at stake but will still see plenty of scope for honing the details of Tuchel’s World Cup squad.