England face Serbia in their opening group match of the 2024 European Championship in Germany.
Gareth Southgate's team narrowly missed out on their first major trophy since the 1966 World Cup, as they were beaten by Italy in the Euro 2020 final on penalties at Wembley three years ago. They then suffered more heartache as they lost 2-1 to France in the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals.
The Three Lions kick off their tournament in Gelsenkirchen as strong favourites.
Despite being just 20 years old, Jude Bellingham is leading the nation's expectations, especially after his recent UEFA Champions League triumph with Real Madrid.
England vs. Serbia live stream, TV channel
- TV channel: N/A
- Streaming: Optus Sport
Australia: Australia's sole broadcaster for the 2024 European Championship is Optus Sport.
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What time is England vs. Serbia kickoff?
This European Championship match kicks off from Arena AufSchalke on June 16 at 9:00 p.m. local time in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
Here's how that time translates across all of the time zones in Australia:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| Australian Eastern Standard Time | Mon, Jun. 17 | 5 a.m. (AEST) |
| Australian Central Standard Time | Mon, Jun. 17 | 4:30 a.m. (ACST) |
| Australian Western Standard Time | Mon, Jun. 17 | 3:00 a.m. (AWST) |
England vs. Serbia lineups
The main chatter surrounding Southgate's lineup for this game has been about the defence and midfield, with the attacking options picking themselves.
John Stones has shaken off his illness earlier in the week and he starts alongside Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace with Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier as the full-backs.
Trent Alexander-Arnold starts in midfield alongside Arsenal star Declan Rice.
England starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Pickford (GK) — Walker, Stones, Guehi, Trippier — Alexander-Arnold, Rice — Saka, Bellingham, Foden — Kane.
Serbia's side has some familiar names to those who follow European football. Former Fulham forward Aleksandar Mitrovic leads the attack alongside Juventus star Dusan Vlahovic.
Serbia starting lineup (3-4-1-2): Rajkovic (GK) — Milenkovic, Veljkovic, Pavlovic — Zivkovic, Gudelj, Lukic, Kostic — S Milinkovic-Savic — Mitrovic, Vlahovic
England vs. Serbia prediction
- Score prediction: England 3-0 Serbia
England have started all three of their major international tournaments under Southgate with wins, their largest being a 6-2 victory over Iran at the Qatar World Cup in 2022.
While Serbia were tipped as the dark horses for that tournament two years ago, England's squad depth should prove too strong for Dragan Stojkovic’s side.