England stay perfect as Saka and Eze strike in routine win over Serbia
England kept their flawless qualifying record alive with a comfortable 2–0 win over Serbia at Wembley, extending their run to seven wins and seven clean sheets under Thomas Tuchel.
The match carried little jeopardy. England were already through to next summer’s finals and the atmosphere reflected that, with a subdued crowd and plenty of empty seats. But Tuchel’s team still delivered the result they needed and two moments of real quality.
Saka lifts the mood with trademark volley
The first half drifted until Bukayo Saka broke the deadlock just before the half-hour mark. After Serbia goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic failed to deal with a free kick, the ball fell to debutant left-back Nico O’Reilly. His deflected effort looped to Saka, who adjusted his feet and guided a left-foot volley into the far corner.
It was a goal that immediately stood out in an otherwise sleepy opening phase.
Marcus Rashford showed flashes of intent on the left, driving at his full-back and creating openings, but his final actions lacked consistency. Morgan Rogers, rewarded with another start in the No 10 role, also threatened with his movement, keeping his place ahead of Jude Bellingham as Tuchel stuck to his principles.
Bellingham and Foden change the rhythm
Bellingham’s introduction on 65 minutes brought the loudest reaction of the night. He came on as part of a quadruple substitution with Phil Foden and Eberechi Eze, and the trio immediately raised England’s attacking speed.
Serbia pushed for a way back. Their best moment came when Dusan Vlahovic flicked a Filip Kostic cross narrowly wide. But England’s defence remained solid, ensuring another quiet evening for Jordan Pickford, who extended his national-team record to ten straight clean sheets.
Eze seals it with late precision
England’s second arrived in stoppage time. Bellingham carried the ball through midfield despite Serbian appeals for a foul, feeding Foden in the false-nine role. The Manchester City star rolled the pass into the path of Eze, who bent a first-time curler beyond Rajkovic and into the far corner.
It was the sharpest move of the night and a fitting final touch to a disciplined performance.
England now finish their group campaign away to Albania on Sunday, looking to complete a perfect qualifying run.
