England produced their best display yet under Thomas Tuchel with a thumping 5-0 win over Serbia in World Cup qualifying in Belgrade.
It was captain Harry Kane who secured the breakthrough, notching his 74th England goal with a fine header from a Declan Rice corner. Noni Madueke backed up his impressive performance against Andorra by scoring his first international goal moments later after a sweet Morgan Rogers flick-on, leaving England deservedly 2-0 up at half-time.
Ezri Konsa added to England’s lead after Serbia keeper Dorde Petrovic failed to clear a long-range Anthony Gordon attempt, with the hosts’ misery compounded when captain Nikola Milenkovic was handed a straight red card for bringing down Harry Kane.
Marc Guehi then tapped in from a deep Rice free-kick, and substitute Marcus Rashford made it five with a cool, composed penalty after Strahinja Erakovic clumsily brought down Ollie Watkins in the box.
The result leaves the Three Lions seven points clear of second-placed Albania in Group K with five wins from five in this campaign, and well on track to qualify for next summer’s finals.
Follow all the latest updates and action with The Independent’s live blog below:
Serbia vs England LIVE
- REPORT: England finally deliver on Thomas Tuchel’s vision with five-goal rout of Serbia
- 90' GOAL! Substitute Rashford slots home cool penalty (SRB 0-5 ENG)
- 75' GOAL! Guehi adds fourth as England dominate (SRB 0-4 ENG)
- 52' GOAL! Konsa thumps home rebound after Petrovic fumbles (SRB 0-3 ENG)
- 35’ GOAL! Madueke doubles England’s lead (SRB 0-2 ENG)
- 33’ GOAL! Kane meets Rice’s corner and heads England ahead (SRB 0-1 ENG)
England finally deliver on Thomas Tuchel’s vision with five-goal rout of Serbia
22:17 , Miguel Delaney at Rajko Mitic StadiumThomas Tuchel said he was looking forward to this, and you can now see why. He’s at last given England something to look forward to, and that goes beyond just being at the World Cup next summer.
This 5-0 win over Serbia should make qualification a certainty given that Tuchel’s side are seven points clear of second place with just three games left, but more important was the manner of it. It was, really, a perfect night - right down to three players enjoying their first international goals.
This was what England had been waiting for. This, finally, was Tuchel’s England. They were disciplined in structure and then dynamic in attack, exactly what he has long idealised.
England finally deliver on Thomas Tuchel’s vision with five-goal rout of Serbia
More from Rice
22:35 , Mike JonesThe midfielder added: "Everything that we have been working on. The five wins, the first four games people have been wanting to see six and seven goals.
“It is never going to happen when teams camp 10 men behind the ball. The whole performance tonight from start to finish was top.
"The mentality has been right all week, the attitude has been right. This was the big game this week and this puts us in a good position going forward."
'Incredible night' says Declan Rice
22:32 , Mike JonesThe England midfielder said: "Incredible night. We knew it was going to be really tough coming here, but a five-star performance.
“We took control from the very first minute, and we needed that tonight."
Post match thoughts from Harry Kane
22:24 , Mike JonesThe England captain told BBC Radio 5 Live: "I spoke a lot yesterday about how we wanted to play – being on the front foot and being aggressive, and I think we showed our level today. Even in the other games, we did well, but we didn't reach top form.
"We scored five and made it look comfortable. We can be proud of ourselves. It has been a great camp and we are in a great position.
"Serbia are a good team, and we made them look average tonight."
England were 'amazing' - Thomas Tuchel
22:14 , Flo CliffordThomas Tuchel has a chat with ITV, looking and sounding level-headed as ever despite a rather thrilling performance.
He says: “I’m more than happy for the team and the staff. We had an excellent week from start to finish. We just proved what I saw everyday in this camp and that makes me very happy.
“There was a lot of teamwork in its purest form, and from there we showed our quality. We played with intensity in the duels; there was a lot of invisible work that you get no praise for.
“Elliot [Anderson] had another fantastic performance. [On Marc Guehi] It’s exactly how the boys were in this camp – they put their personal interest aside. He was the best teammate possible.
“We’ve only had three weeks of training together. That’s half a pre-season – it takes a bit of time. The credit goes to the players, they did amazing.”
Next up
22:01 , Mike JonesEngland play Latvia away on 14 October and face Serbia at Wembley on 13 November.
Four points from those matches would mean the Three Lions will qualify for the World Cup with a game to spare.
Their final match is in Albania on 16 November.
As things stand
21:58 , Mike JonesThe Group K table is very positive for England.
They have 15 points from five games and a goal difference of +13.
That’s 13 goals scored and none conceded so far in World Cup qualifying under Thomas Tuchel.
Albania are now up to second place haveing beaten Lativa tonight meanign Serbia have work to do in the next international break.
Ruthless England hammer Serbia
21:55 , Mike Jones
Reaction from former England goalkeeper
21:48 , Mike JonesPaul Robinson, a former England goalkeeper, told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“Statement made. Benchmark set. A great performance from England.
“You run out of superlatives tonight for England.
“Everything that Thomas Tuchel said what he wanted from his team they have followed it out to the nth degree.
“Impressive statement performance from England tonight.”
FT Serbia 0-5 England
21:45 , Mike JonesThree England players all scored their first international goals this evening.
Noni Madueke was the first before Ezri Konsa and Marc Guehi added the third and fourth goals in the second half.
Full-time! Serbia 0-5 England
21:39 , Mike Jones90+3 mins: The final whistle goes and England’s perfect record goes on.
They’ve won all five of their World Cup qualifiers under Thomas Tuchel and haven’t conceded a goal in any of them.
Tonight was a superb performance and England proved they have been clinical and ruthless under Tuchel’s leadership as well.
GOAL! Serbia 0-5 England (Marcus Rashford, 90')
21:36 , Mike JonesRashford places the ball and stutters in his run up before calmly rolling the ball into the corner!
England have five.
Penalty to England!
21:35 , Mike JonesSerbia 0-4 England
89 mins: Things are getting worse for Serbia. Erakovic lunged for the ball, missed it and took out Watkins.
The referee takes a look at the replay on the monitor next to the pitch and decides very quickly to point to the spot.
Rashford has the ball in hand.
Serbia 0-4 England
21:33 , Mike Jones86 mins: Time is running out in this match but England will feel they can score again.
A charging counter attack sees Watkins and Rashford drive up the pitch with Watkins played into the box.
He goes down under a tackle and wants a penalty but the referee says no.
VAR are taking a look at this incident though...
Serbia 0-4 England
21:27 , Mike Jones83 mins: England are hungry for more goals. Rashford looks bright, as does Bowen.
Declan Rice goes off before England take another corner and Jordan Henderson comes on. He’s given the captain’s armband too.
Bowen swings the ball into the penalty area and picks out Guehi but he can’t get a good connection this time.
Serbia partially clear the ball but Bowen runs it back into the box and puts it on a plate for Watkins who taps in!
He’s offside though, an easy decision for the assistant referee.
Serbia 0-4 England
21:25 , Mike Jones80 mins: Jarrod Bowen, Ollie Watkins and Marcus Rashford have been brought on by Thomas Tuchel.
Harry Kane, Noni Madueke and Anthony Gordon are the men who’ve been replaced.
Serbia 0-4 England
21:23 , Mike Jones78 mins: Lee Dixon has described England’s performance as ‘pretty faultless’ on ITV’s commentary.
It’s hard to argue against that, the Three Lions have been superb tonight.
GOAL! Serbia 0-4 England (Marc Guehi, 75')
21:21 , Mike JonesBeautiful.
The resultant free kick from Milenkovic’s red card if dinked into the box by Declan Rice.
He drops the ball into the path of Marc Guehi who out muscles Pavlovic and turns the ball into the back of the net.
Serbia 0-3 England
21:19 , Mike Jones73 mins: Red card!
Wow. Nikola Milenkovic is shown a straight red for a tackle on Harry Kane.
Kane looked to be striding towards the ball and the Serbian captain arrives late and takes out the man.
There’s a quick VAR check but the hosts are down to 10-men.
Serbia 0-3 England
21:17 , Mike Jones71 mins: Spence gets stuck into the action with a back-tracking lunge to take the ball away from Pavlovic and out for a throw in.
The challenge excites the England fans and gets them on their feet.
Serbia 0-3 England
21:14 , Mike Jones69 mins: Rice’s delivery this time is a little too deep but the ball comes out to Tino Livramento.
He slips a pass down the left but no-one can get on the end of it and the ball runs out for a goal kick.
Thomas Tuchel makes a couple of changes now.
Reece James and Anthony Gordon head off with Marcus Rashford and Djed Spence are brought on.
Spence is the first Muslim man to play for England and makes his debut tonight.
Serbia 0-3 England
21:13 , Mike Jones66 mins: Rogers has arguably been the player of the pitch for England.
He’s been positive in the No. 10 role and has looked to drive England on.
It’s tricky though as England have performed brilliantly across the pitch. Declan Rice has had a fine outing as well.
He jogs over to take another corner...
Serbia 0-3 England
21:08 , Mike Jones63 mins: Morgan Rogers slips a nice ball into the box for Kane who battles a defender to win it.
England’s high press sees them recover possession just inside the penalty area and the ball is laid up for Rice to take a low curling effort.
Petrovic scoops up the ball.
Serbia 0-3 England
21:07 , Mike Jones60 mins: An hour played in this World Cup qualifier and Serbia are throwing attackers onto the pitch to try and get themselves back in this match.
Serbia 0-3 England
21:03 , Mike Jones57 mins: England have now gone 10 hours of game time since they last conceded a goal in World Cup qualifying.
There’s a break in play as one fo the Serbian players receives some medical treatment on the pitch.
'This is destruction now'
21:02 , Miguel Delaney at Rajko Mitic StadiumHere’s The Independent’s Miguel Delaney with the latest:
“3-0 England.
“This is a destruction now, as England really just pummel Serbia into submission there.
“A series of drives at Djordje Petrovic eventually leave Konsa to finish. There's a VAR check but it's passed through.”
GOAL! Serbia 0-3 England (Ezri Konsa, 52')
20:59 , Mike JonesIt’s a scrappy one but England won’t care.
The Three Lions win a free kick which is played short to Anthony Gordon.
He cuts inside and and strikes an effort at goal which Dorde Petrovic palms into the path of Marc Guehi.
The ball deflects off the England man, bounces over to Harry Kane who misses the ball and it runs through to Ezri Konsa by the back post.
He smashes it into the back of the net and England are comfortable now.
Serbia 0-2 England
20:54 , Mike Jones50 mins: Harry Kane switches the play with an ambitious pass out to the right for Madueke.
The winger sprints forward but is powered away from the ball by the strong Pavlovic.
Serbia 0-2 England
20:53 , Mike Jones47 mins: An early second half free kick is won by Serbia and Kostic is the man to flick it into the box.
England defend it well and look to counter through Elliot Anderson.
Nikola Milenkovic comes sliding into a tackle and takes out his Nottingham Forest teammate.
Anderson looks a little worse for wear but manages to shrug off the pain.
Second half! Serbia 0-2 England
20:51 , Mike JonesSerbia get the ball rolling again for the second half.
Filip Kostic and Luka Jovic have been brought on for the hosts with Kosta Nedeljkovic and Veljko Birmancevic taken off.
No changes for England.
HT Serbia 0-2 England
20:45 , Mike JonesIt’s been a one-sided affair.
England have had 71% possession so far and have created 10 chances with five of them on target.
Two of those shots resulted in goals and the Three Lions will want more in the second half.
HT Serbia 0-2 England
20:41 , Mike JonesAs things stand in Group K England will remain at the top of the table and they will have an eight point lead over Serbia who stay second.
The Serbs do have a game in hand but that won’t likely have an impact if the Three Lions win tonight and avoid defeat when the teams meet again.
HT Serbia 0-2 England
20:37 , Mike JonesTwo goals to the good for England. They’re impressing away from home.
45 minutes left to go.
Half-time! Serbia 0-2 England
20:33 , Mike Jones45+1 mins: The whistle goes to end the first half of this World Cup qualifier.
A chorus of boos echo around the ground aimed at the home players.
There’s been little for Serbia to celebrate and credit must be given to England for their control of the game thus far.
Serbia 0-2 England
20:32 , Mike Jones43 mins: It’s been a brilliant first half so far for the Three Lions.
They’ve played at a quick tempo and have put Serbia on the back foot.
Two goals scored also answers Thomas Tuchel’s desire to not leave it too long before adding to an opening goal.
The England boss will be pleased with this performance.
Serbia 0-2 England
20:28 , Mike Jones40 mins: England are in total control now. Noni Madueke also has his first international goal to back up a strong performance against Andorra at the weekend.
'England had been growing in confidence'
20:27 , Miguel Delaney at Rajko Mitic StadiumMiguel Delaney on the opening goal:
“Harry Kane opens the scoring. It might be a stretch to say it was coming, but England had been growing in confidence.
“They'd started to open Serbia a few times, principally through Anthony Gordon and Morgan Rogers. The only surprise about this was that it was a set-piece, given Serbia's physicality.
“Despite so much height and presence at the back, Kane was afforded a free header.
“And, within minutes, Madueke makes it 2-0. That was soaring brilliance, really. A newly buoyant England just cut through Serbia, the strike rising into the roof of the net to perfectly fit - and finish - such a sleek move.”
GOAL! Serbia 0-2 England (Noni Madueke, 35')
20:25 , Mike JonesAnother one!
Two in two minutes for England as Noni Madueke doubles the lead.
A quick pass into Rogers sees the midfielder flick the ball on for Madueke’s run.
The winger collects it, drives into the box and chips the sprawling goalkeeper with a fine finish.
GOAL! Serbia 0-1 England (Harry Kane, 33')
20:21 , Mike JonesAnother corner for England is whipped into the box by Declan Rice.
This one is perfect for the England captain, Harry Kane, who powers his header into the deck and targets the far post.
It’s a pinpoint effort and strikes the inside of the post before taking the ball into the net.
England lead!
Serbia 0-0 England
20:18 , Mike Jones31 mins: England are turning up the heat.
Kane wins a free kick just outside the penalty area after Gordon forces another save out of Petrovic.
The ball is placed with Madueke, Gordon and James standing over it.
James takes it and fizzes a shot into the wall!
Serbia 0-0 England
20:16 , Mike Jones29 mins: Close!
A blazing pass comes up to Morgan Rogers who spins with the ball and threads it forward to Madueke who makes a run into the box.
Madueke squares it to Harry Kane who pokes a shot at goal.
There’s a deflection, maybe off the goalkeeper, and the ball bobbles wide.
Serbia 0-0 England
20:14 , Mike Jones26 mins: Close!
Anthony Gordon goes on a wonderful run over on the left wing.
He drives forward and darts in between a couple of defenders before whipping a shot at goal.
The effort is on target but Petrovic gets both hands behind the ball and pushes it clear.
Serbia 0-0 England
20:10 , Mike Jones23 mins: England move the ball quickly across the pitch and find Madueke.
He draws in a couple of defenders before offloading the ball to James.
James curls in a cross and finds Rice but his header is soft and isn’t any trouble for Petrovic to deal with.
Serbia 0-0 England
20:08 , Mike Jones20 mins: England have seen more possession but there are a few signs that they’re vulnerable to a counter attack.
Once or twice Serbia have threatened to break with England’s defenders needing to scramble to cut their runners off.
So far they’ve done that job well.
Serbia 0-0 England
20:06 , Mike Jones17 mins: A short corner from Serbia catches England unawares and the resultant cross almost drops onto the head of Strahinja Pavlovic.
Instead the ball is worked out as far at Kosta Nedeljkovic who shoots from range but sees a deflection take the ball straight into the hands of Jordan Pickford.
'England have largely been in control'
20:05 , Miguel Delaney at Rajko Mitic StadiumHere’s The Independent’s Miguel Delaney reporting from the Rajko Mitic Stadium in Serbia.
“The atmosphere has not been as intimidating as billed, although that may be down to the reduced crowd from previous punishments, as well as appeals from the Serbian federation before the game.
“The first few minutes still saw what sounded politically-charged chants about Kosovo.
“On the actual pitch, England have largely been in control without hurting a robust Serbia too much. There have been a few flash warnings when England get their press wrong in the middle.”
Serbia 0-0 England
20:02 , Mike Jones13 mins: There’s already been a marked difference in England’s play.
They’re passing it quicker and being more direct near the box.
Elliot Anderson plays a risky pass back to Guehi and gives the ball away but Rice tracks back well and recovers it before the danger truly develops.
Serbia 0-0 England
19:57 , Mike Jones10 mins: Oh delightful!
James makes a great run from deep and nips in behind the Serbian defence.
Marc Guehi spots him and flicks the ball over the top. James carries it into the box and wins the first corner of the game.
Rice is on the delivery and curls one into a dangerous zone. Serbia win the header and the ball is sent out of the box.
Serbia 0-0 England
19:54 , Mike Jones7 mins: England are peppering Serbia’s left side. Thomas Tuchel spoke about the desire to swing crosses into the box and Reece James has already supplied a couple.
Declan Rice meanwhile gets the first shot away. He collects the ball and runs along the front edge of the box and drills a low effort at goal.
His shot is sent straight at the goalkeeper who clings onto it without much trouble.
Serbia 0-0 England
19:52 , Mike Jones5 mins: Madueke has made a quick start to this game and isn’t afraid to take on Birmancevic.
The defender holds him off long enough to force the ball out for a goal kick.
Madueke goes down int the box after a shoulder-to-shoulder tussle but the referee looks at him with a rye smile as the winger enquires about a potential penalty.
Serbia 0-0 England
19:50 , Mike Jones3 mins: An aerial pass down the right flank takes the ball to Noni Madueke.
He brings it under control and looks to spin away from Veljko Birmancevic.
The defender brings down the winger and England are awarded an early free kick.
Declan Rice whips the set piece into the penalty area but only finds Dusan Vlahovic who heads the ball clear.
Kick off! Serbia 0-0 England
19:48 , Mike JonesDeclan Rice gets the ball rolling in Serbia and knocks it back to Jordan Pickford.
He boots it long towards Harry Kane who is put under pressure.
The is half cleared but England recover it quickly.
Serbia vs England
19:41 , Mike JonesHere come the players. Harry Kane leads out the England side looking determined.
The Serbian fans booed their own manager Dragan Stojkovic when he stepped onto the side of the pitch.
The national anthems are played and kick off is up next...
Will England win tonight?
19:35 , Mike JonesEngland’s overall record in Belgrade stands at one win, two draws and three defeats, each match coming against Yugoslavia.
Each of their winless trips to the capital city were friendly matches.
The only previous meeting between England and Serbia since they became an independent nation came at Euro 2024.
The Three Lions taking an early lead through a Jude Bellingham header and holding out for a 1-0 victory.
England's unbeaten run
19:25 , Mike JonesThe Three Lions are unbeaten in each of their last 35 World Cup qualifiers since a 1-0 loss away to Ukraine in October 2009.
They’ve won 27 and drawn eight of those matches. Can they add to the tally tonight?
Playing well away from home
19:20 , Mike JonesEngland are unbeaten in each of their last nine away matches in all competitions with seven wins and two draws.
They last suffered defeat on the road to Italy in September 2022 in the Nations League.
Can England break down Serbia?
19:15 , Mike JonesTonight’s hosts have kept a clean sheet in each of their last four matches, and haven’t conceded on home soil since a 2-2 draw with Bulgaria in November 2023, playing five times at home since.
Can England break down Serbia and secure the points?
A tough test
19:10 , Mike JonesSerbia have won each of their last two games – both in World Cup qualification.
They last won three competitive fixtures in a row in November 2021.
Goals and assists
19:05 , Mike JonesDeclan Rice has had a hand in seven goals in his last 12 appearances for England (three goals, four assists).
He had been involved in just three goals in his first 55 international appearances (three goals, no assists).
Why World Cup qualifier in Serbia could be the making of Thomas Tuchel’s England
19:00 , Miguel DelaneyThe first thing the England players are likely to notice is “the banging”, “the noise”, especially as they embark down that famously long tunnel. It’s certainly what Harry Kane remembers, as one of the few squad members to have played in the Marakana.
“Pretty hostile environment,” Kane smiles now. “Just walking from the changing room to the pitch. It feels like a mile-long walk. There are a lot of fans, you hear a lot of noise, a lot of banging. That was pretty hostile.”
Why World Cup qualifier in Serbia could be the making of Thomas Tuchel’s England
Kane to match Rooney?
18:55 , Mike JonesHarry Kane has scored an away goal against 15 different opponents in his international career, with only Wayne Rooney netting against more different nations in away matches (16).
The Three Lions’ captain has played at this venue before in Belgrade, having four shots to no avail for Spurs vs Crvena Zvezda in the 2019-20 Champions League.
Mitrovic vs Pickford
18:50 , Mike JonesDuring his Premier League career, Aleksandar Mitrovic had more shots against Jordan Pickford than any other goalkeeper (24 – six on target) but failed to score with any of them.
The striker has however scored eight goals across his last seven starts in World Cup qualifying.
Four in a row?
18:45 , Mike JonesThomas Tuchel could become just the fourth manager to win each of his first five competitive games in charge of England after Fabio Capello (first eight), Ron Greenwood (first six) and Sven-Goran Eriksson (first five).
Serbia line-up to face England
18:43 , Mike JonesSerbia XI: Petrovic, Erakovic, Milenkovic, Pavlovic; Nedeljkovic, Maksimovic, Lukic, Birmcevic; Zivkovic, Ilic; Vlahovic
Subs: Rosic, Illic, Gudelj, Jovic, Mitrovic, Kostic, Veljkovic, Babic, Stulic, Racci, Samardzic, Katai
Clean sheet record
18:40 , Mike JonesEngland haven’t conceded in any of their last six competitive fixtures and could tie their longest ever run of clean sheets in such games
They previously kept seven in a row between October 1988 and October 1989 under Sir Bobby Robson.
England team changes
18:35 , Mike JonesThomas Tuchel makes four changes to the starting XI that faced Andorra last time out.
Myles Lewis-Skelly and Dan Burn drop out of the defensive line with Tino Livramento and Ezri Konsa taking their places.
Further up the pitch Marcus Rashford and Eberechi Eze have been benched with Anthony Gordon and Morgan Rogers getting the nod to start.
Elliot Anderson keeps his place after impressing on his debut last Saturday.
England line-up to face Serbia
18:25 , Mike JonesEngland XI: Pickford; James, Guehi, Konsa, Livramento; Anderson, Rice; Madueke, Rogers, Gordon; Kane
Kane on what he's expecting from Serbia
18:24 , Mike JonesEngland last faced Serbia at Euro 2024 where Jude Bellingham scored the only goal of the game to give the Three Lions a 1-0 win.
Harry Kane expects a similarly tough encounter tonight.
“We expect a similar game. That was a really tough game in the Euros last summer,” he said.
“I thought large parts of that game, we controlled it well. Probably in the second half, we look at as a game we could’ve done a little bit better. Serbia were really good in possession and we struggled to press the way we wanted to.
“We have to go with loads of energy and make it as difficult as we can for them. If we give them too much time, they have the quality in the team to hurt us. We’re going to go aggressive and try and be on the front foot.
“Hopefully we can come out with that energy and really take the game from minute one.”
Morgan Rogers expected to start
18:20 , Mike JonesThe official line ups will be dropping in around 10 minutes time.
Morgan Rogers and Anthony Gordon are expected to start for England as Thomas Tuchel rotates his squad.
There could be other changes too with Dan Burn expected to be replaced by Ezri Konsa in defence.
Tuchel on England's approach
18:18 , Mike JonesThomas Tuchel says his team are preparing to face the ‘best version of Serbia’ when the two nations clash this evening.
The England boss explained: “You always have to prepare for everything. We prepare for the best version of Serbia.
“First of all, we’re in a very supportive country and a very emotional country. They have amazing talents over the years in football and we will face individual quality, we will face emotions.
“We have our first away game together in a very emotional and traditional stadium, so I think the occasion, the opponent and the consolation will bring out the very best in us and I’m looking forward to it.”
A sight for goal
18:12 , Mike JonesThe Three Lions have scored in each of their last seven games against Serbia.
They last failed to do so in a 1-0 loss at Euro 1968 in Florence, Italy.
Areas to work on for England
18:06 , Mike JonesEngland mustered up eleven shots in their 2-0 home win against Andorra and only one after Declan Rice’s goal in the 67th minute.
They last had fewer in a game against a nation ranked outside of the top 100 in March 2011 vs Wales.
Thomas Tuchel reveals old-school England solution to new tactical trend
18:00 , Miguel DelaneyThomas Tuchel is preparing England to get physical, as he said more aerial play like long throws will be a part of their armoury as they try to get ready for the World Cup. Tuesday brings a difficult trip away to Serbia, with the German’s side having beaten Andorra 2-0 at Villa Park through two vintage crosses.
Tuchel has spoken a lot of late about how old-fashioned qualities are coming back, and said such an approach was part of it. It may be just as suited to Serbia, since the manager said he expects to “face the same formation, the defensive block of 5-4-1, with individual quality up front with tall, physical strikers”.
Thomas Tuchel reveals old-school England solution to new tactical trend
England fans gather in Belgrade ahead of Serbia qualifier
17:54 , Mike JonesThe fans are out and about ahead of tonight’s clash in Belgrade but which set of supporters will be cheering at the final whistle?
Serbia's strong record
17:48 , Mike JonesSerbia have lost just one of their last 24 World Cup qualifiers with 16 wins, seven draws.
That defeat was a 3-2 loss to Austria in October 2017.
At home have lost just one of their last 28 since September 2001 (19 wins, eight draws), losing 3-0 to Belgium in October 2012.
'Winning is a big step in the right direction'
17:42 , Mike JonesHarry Kane also spoke about what victory tonight would mean for England’s chances of reaching the World Cup.
He said: “It'll be a big step in the right direction, of course. When you look at the group, this and the Albania away games are going to be the two toughest.
“The way the group is poised at the moment, we know that if we win, we take a big step in the right direction but also, from Serbia’s point of view, they know it’s a great opportunity for them as well to get their nose in front and go into a great position going into the next camp.
“We need to focus on what we can control and that’s going out there and playing the way we know we can. It’s going to be difficult but we enjoy these challenges. This is part and parcel of qualifying for the biggest tournament in the world and we look forward to it.”
Harry Kane's pre-match thoughts
17:36 , Mike JonesHarry Kane sat down with Thomas Tuchel at the pre-match press conference and gave his thoughts about tonight’s match against Serbia.
The England captain said: “It’s going to be tough, for sure. I played here with Spurs quite a few years ago, so I’ve had that experience it. It’s definitely a difficult atmosphere to play in front of.
“I’d imagine [it] will be even more hostile and they’ll try and make it as difficult as they can for us. It’s a big game in terms of qualification for the World Cup, so we need to be ready.
“It’s going to be a difficult evening but we’ve had games like this before and I feel like we’ve handled it well and we need to do the same.”
Harry Kane reacts to Daniel Levy’s Tottenham departure after tension over transfer saga
17:30 , Miguel DelaneyHarry Kane says he didn't see Daniel Levy’s departure from Tottenham Hotspur coming, as the England striker hailed “a fantastic chairman”.
Kane left Spurs for Bayern Munich in 2023, amid some tension over a protracted saga. The England captain still had warm words for Levy, having had his career cross over with some of the chairman’s most high-profile years at Spurs.
Harry Kane reacts to Daniel Levy’s Spurs departure after tension over transfer saga
A first visit to Serbia
17:24 , Mike JonesThis will be England’s first visit to Serbia as an independent nation, with their last away game against Yugoslavia coming in November 1987.
They won 4-1 in a European Championship qualifier.
'We are here to win' says Tuchel
17:18 , Mike JonesMore from the England boss now who outlined his plans for tonight’s match:
“We are clearly here to win. We are prepared to win and to try to win. This is why we are here. We want to put the performance and quality on the pitch that it’s enough to win.
“We can never guarantee and we will never be arrogant and disrespectful. The result is hard to control.
“We want to have a good performance and we need a top performance to reach our goal. And the target is clear: we want to win.”
Head to head
17:12 , Mike JonesIncluding Yugoslavia and, Serbia and Montenegro, England have won each of their last five meetings with Serbia by an aggregate score of 11-3.
Thomas Tuchel on potential team changes
17:06 , Mike JonesThe England manager was asked whether he will make any changes to the team for tonight’s clash with Serbia.
He said: “In terms of performance, I have to say not too many – maybe slight adjustments because we had an excellent camp and everyone deserves to play and everyone deserves some minutes.
“The players are not yet in a rhythm where it’s normal also to play 90 minutes every three days, so we take this into account.
“Everyone is available, so it will be narrow decisions but that’s a good sign.”
The old-fashioned quality that paints a clearer picture of Thomas Tuchel’s England
17:00 , Miguel DelaneyThomas Tuchel said he wanted to give his England team more “clarity”, and there is little as obvious in football as whipping a cross into the box.
Such deliveries were for decades the staple of the English game, the articles of faith in the classic 4-4-2, something all the more resonant given that the manager has talked about restoring core values. Meat and potatoes. Get into the mixer. Get the job done.
They were enough here for a 2-0 win over Andorra, as both goals came from deliveries down the right.
The old-fashioned quality that paints a clearer picture of Thomas Tuchel’s England
England's early team news
16:54 , Mike JonesEngland are likely to field a similar line-up to the XI against Andorra at Villa Park, with Elliot Anderson and Noni Madueke both impressing for the Three Lions.
Ollie Watkins could feature but is unlikely to start and there may be tweaks in defence after Myles Lewis-Skelly was left out of the squad.
Predicted England XI: Pickford; James, Guehi, Konsa, Spence; Anderson, Rice; Madueke, Eze, Gordon; Kane.
Early Serbia team news
16:48 , Mike JonesSerbia have not reported any injury concerns after their win over Latvia but could see former Fulham striker and all-time leading goalscorer Aleksandar Mitrovic return to lead the line. Nemanja Gudelj and Nemanja Maksimovic may also be recalled into the starting XI.
Predicted Serbia XI: Petrovic; Milenkovic, Erakovic, Pavlovic; Zivkovic, Gudelj, Maksimovic, Samardzic, Terzic; Mitrovic, Vlahovic.
How can I watch it?
16:42 , Mike JonesViewers in the UK can watch the clash on ITV1 and ITV’s streaming platform, ITVX.
When is Serbia vs England?
16:36 , Mike JonesSerbia face England on Tuesday 9 September at the Rajko Mitic Stadium in Belgrade, Serbia, with kick-off at 7.45pm BST.
Serbia vs England
16:30 , Mike JonesEngland continue their World Cup qualifying campaign with what is likely to be their toughest fixture as they take on Serbia.
Thomas Tuchel’s side recorded an efficient 2-0 win over minnows Andorra last Saturday, but while the result was tidy - extending their run of Group K wins to four from four - the performance was a largely tepid affair.
Viewers are unlikely to be treated to any more scintillating football against Serbia, as Tuchel has spoken at length about bringing old-school footballing qualities back into the side, including long throws and crosses - with both England’s goals against Andorra scored from the latter.
The German said he expects to “face the same formation, the defensive block of 5-4-1, with individual quality up front with tall, physical strikers” from their next opponents, who beat Latvia 1-0 on Friday and who sit five points behind England in Group K, having played a game less.
Good afternoon!
15:18 , Mike JonesWelcome to The Independent’s coverage of tonight’s World Cup qualifier between England and Serbia.
Thomas Tuchel’s men have won all four of their qualifying matches so far and another win this evening will be a giant leap towards securing a place at next summer’s World Cup.
Serbia are second in Group K, behind England, and will be the toughest test yet for the Three Lions.
Tuchel is still trying to fathom his best XI ahead of the tournament and tonight’s match is another chance to impart different tactics and styles of play on his team.
We’ll have all the build-up throughout the afternoon so stick with us for all the latest updates ahead of Serbia vs England.
