{"id":1398310,"date":"2025-09-09T22:22:58","date_gmt":"2025-09-09T21:22:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?post_type=features&p=1398310"},"modified":"2025-09-09T22:24:18","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T21:24:18","slug":"post-match-analysis-serbia-vs-england-09-09-25","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/post-match-analysis-serbia-vs-england-09-09-25\/","title":{"rendered":"Serbia vs England tactical analysis: Tuchel era springs into life with emphatic win in Belgrade"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This was more like it from England. After a series of turgid showings under Thomas Tuchel, the Three Lions kicked it up a notch when it mattered most. The game in Serbia was always going to the be their toughest in their bid to secure a spot at the 2026 World Cup. Tuchel took his men to Belgrade to protect a 100% start to qualification, and they did so to make it five wins from five in a dominant display.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harry Kane broke the Serbia dominance in the 33rd minute before Noni Madueke doubled England\u2019s advantage two minutes later. Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi and Marcus Rashford wrapped up a five-star display as they eased to a 5-0 victory. The Eagles stood firm in the opening half hour yet the gulf in quality ultimately shone through as England took a huge step towards booking their trip stateside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tuchel made four changes to the side that beat Andorra at the weekend, as Tino Livramento, Ezri Konsa, Morgan Rogers and Anthony Gordon came in for Myles Lewis-Skelly, Dan Burn, Eberechi Eze and Marcus Rashford. Key for England once again, though, was the performance of Elliot Anderson, who deservedly kept his place in the starting XI.<\/p>\n\n\n

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    Anderson was superb on his international debut at Villa Park. \u201cHe\u2019s just a very, very good football player,\u201d Tuchel said of the Nottingham Forest star after Saturday\u2019s victory in which the 22-year-old was named player of the match. And while it was one thing dominating in the middle of the park against a side that ranks 174th in the FIFA rankings, it\u2019s another doing so with ease in Belgrade against a Serbia outfit that boasts a number of household names.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In truth, England made Serbia look a second-rate side. This was the sort of performance fans have come to expect from Tuchel\u2019s outfit, with Anderson the heartbeat to the team once more. In truth, England have been crying out for a progressive passer at the base of the midfield to help break opposition lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

    Given their standing on the international stage, England are often expected to dominate, with teams routinely implementing a low block to frustrate one of football\u2019s powerhouse nations. It means they need a midfielder to help break the lines or they run the risk of controlling proceedings without offering much penetration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Anderson provides that requisite thrust to get the ball upfield. Only Konsa (87) made more accurate passes than the Forest star (75) in Belgrade, while the centre-back (26) was the only one to make forward passes than Anderson (21), with Jordan Pickford and Djordje Petrovic (both 19) rounding off the top three. The inclusion of goalkeepers and centre-backs in this metric is to be expected, however. It\u2019s telling that Declan Rice, Anderson\u2019s midfield partner in a 4-2-3-1, only made eight forward passes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n

    Elliot Anderson's game by numbers vs. Serbia:

    93 touches
    75\/84 passes completed
    15 passes into the final third
    8x possession won
    7 duels won
    5 accurate long balls
    3 tackles
    1 chance created

    Looks so comfortable in an England shirt. ?     pic.twitter.com\/a1xvNsXTOg<\/a><\/p>— Squawka (@Squawka) September 9, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote>