Harry Kane said he was pleased with the performance as England edged a ‘battle’ with Serbia in their Euro 2024 opener.
Jude Bellingham’s 13th-minute header sealed England a 1-0 win in their opening fixture in Gelsenkirchen, as the Real Madrid midfielder powered from Bukayo Saka’s deflected cross.
England started in total control but struggled to build on a positive opening, with Serbia growing into the game after the break.
Gareth Southgate’s had just two shots on target, while Harry Kane came close to doubling the lead when Predrag Rajkovic turned his point-blank header onto the crossbar.
England did well to restrict Serbia to minimal chances of their own and record a clean sheet, though had to withstand sustained pressure in the second half and lacked fluidity going forward with Kane and Phil Foden ineffective.
Kane admits it was a tough opening assignment for England who move two points clear at the top of the group after a draw between Slovenia and Denmark earlier in the day.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game, Serbia pose a lot of threats and have some good players,” Kane said speaking to the BBC.
”They will make it a battle for you and I think we dealt with it really well. There was a spell in the second half where we got camped in our box and we found it hard to get out but it was an important win tonight.
“It’s a tough game. They are a tough team and have good players. We stood up to it well and it is good to get the three points and [for us] to progress. It’s good that we got the win today.”
