Football
Euro 2024: Serbia v England – five players for the Three Lions to watch out for – BBC Sport
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England begin their Euro 2024 campaign when they face Serbia at 20:00 BST in their opening Group C match in Gelsenkirchen – a game you can watch live on BBC One.
Ranked 33rd in the world – 29 places below the Three Lions – Serbia squeezed through qualifying after finishing runners-up to Hungary in a group that also contained Montenegro, Lithuania and Bulgaria.
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BBC Sport looks at five members of Serbia’s squad who could play a key part.
Vanja Milinkovic-Savic – the keeper who signed for Man Utd
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An experienced goalkeeper, Vanja Milinkovic-Savic has played club football in Serbia, Poland, Italy and Belgium.
Having featured prominently in qualifying, he is expected to play against England, though there are some Serbia fans who would prefer to see Chelsea’s Djordje Petrovic start.
Milinkovic-Savic helped Torino finish ninth in Serie A in 2023-24. He is the younger brother of Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, who spent eight years at Lazio and plays in midfield for Serbia.
Nikola Milenkovic – the vastly experienced defender
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A right-sided centre-back, Nikola Milenkovic is about to represent his country at a third major tournament.
The 26-year-old played alongside former Premier League players Nemanja Matic and Branislav Ivanovic at the 2018 World Cup, and also featured in Qatar four years later.
They led Cameroon 3-1 and Switzerland 2-1 at the 2022 tournament, before drawing 3-3 and losing 3-2 respectively.
The Eagles will hope Milenkovic’s experience – he has spent seven years playing for Fiorentina in Serie A – will ensure they do not implode again on the big stage.
Dusan Tadic – the main man
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At the age of 35, Tadic is still Serbia’s main man and should captain his country against England.
He chipped in with a couple of goals in qualifying, and in March overtook Branislav Ivanovic as Serbia’s most-capped player.
Tadic plays his club football in Turkey for Fenerbahce, who have just appointed Jose Mourinho as head coach.
Lazar Samardzic – the future star
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Lazar Samardzic may not be an automatic starter, but he is definitely one to watch should he make an appearance.
The 22-year-old, who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger, was born in Berlin and represented Germany at various levels up to the under-21s.
He is seen as an eventual successor to Dusan Tadic as the creative and influential force on Serbia’s national team.
Samardzic plays his club football in Italy for Udinese, with two of his six Serie A goals in 2023-24 coming in matches against AC Milan and Inter Milan.
Aleksandar Mitrovic – the goalscorer
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Having played in the Premier League for Fulham and Newcastle United, Aleksandar Mitrovic will have extra motivation to make an impact against England.
The 29-year-old, who scored 38 times in 129 English top-flight appearances, is now playing in the Saudi Pro League.
Serbia’s top scorer in qualifying with five goals, Mitrovic has an outstanding international record of 58 goals in 91 appearances for his country.
Known for his fighting spirit, his team-mates will be hoping he does not overstep the mark should he start ahead of Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic.
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