England vs Serbia tips and predictions: Thomas Tuchel sharpens focus ahead of World Cup

England state of play 

England have already confirmed their qualification for the World Cup 2026 in America, with Thursday’s game against Serbia simply providing Thomas Tuchel with an opportunity to continue working and developing his squad ahead of the tournament. 

The Three Lions have been dominant within Group K, boasting a perfect record so far. Tuchel’s side have earned 18 points from an available 18, all while scoring 18 goals and conceding none. 

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England scored eight goals during their previous two matches, with the free-flowing attacking football being something that is starting to excite supporters. 

Serbia state of play 

Serbia have had a tumultuous time as of late, which led to Dragan Stojkovic resigning from his role as manager, with his temporary replacement Zoran Mirkovic having now ended his tenure in charge as well. 

That means this fixture will be Veljko Paunovic’s first as the new Serbia manager. 

There is instant pressure on the former Reading head coach, as Serbia face the possibility of failing to qualify for the World Cup, which is something they have only done once as an independent nation. 

If Serbia lose against England and Albania defeat Andorra, then it will all be over for them. However, they do head into this game on the back of a 3-1 win against Andorra in their most recent outing, proving their quality.

Key talking point: England will be out to entertain

With England already qualified for the World Cup, the ante-post football betting markets could be worth a look. 

Plus this should mean the squad will get to play with an element of freedom in this game that hasn’t been there previously, and the fans should benefit from that. 

Tuchel’s side won 5-0 during their last outing against Latvia, and with this being the last home game of 2025, there’s an opportunity for England to send the fans home in buoyant mood. 

Jude Bellingham will have a point to prove after being brought back into the England squad this time around. 

The Real Madrid star needs to deliver a high-quality performance if given the chance to perform to help cement his personal spot back in the Three Lions setup, and silence any doubters. 

FIRST.com’s top tip - England vs Serbia

Backing England to win is a safe bet for anyone to make due to how impressive they have been of late. 

Given their attacking displays under Tuchel, it wouldn’t be a shock to see them scoring plenty of goals.

Pick: England to win and over 4.5 total goals – 4/1 (Coral)

Extra tips

While England will be a threat offensively, they haven’t conceded a goal in qualifying, and Jordan Pickford could see that record continue. 

Pick: Over/Under Serbia total goals 0.5 (Under) – 8/11 (Ladbrokes)

Bellingham is known for his passion, and his desire to prove his worth could see him go overboard at one point in this game. 

Pick: Player to be carded: Jude Bellingham – 17/4 (Coral)

Team news

England are missing several important players, as Newcastle’s Nick Pope and Anthony Gordon had to be replaced by James Trafford and Trevor Chalobah due to injury. Meanwhile, Marc Guehi is dealing with a foot injury and is a serious doubt. 

Serbia have also been handed a significant blow, as they are without all-time leading goalscorer Aleksandar Mitrovic, who wasn’t selected for this international break due to injury. 

England vs Serbia predicted line-ups

England: Pickford; James, Konsa, Stones, Spence; Anderson, Rice; Saka, Bellingham, Rashford; Kane (4-2-3-1)

Serbia: Petrovic; Mimovic, Milenkovic, Pavlovic, Terzic; Gudelj, Lukic; Zivkovic, Samardzic, Kostic; Vlahovic (4-2-3-1) 

Form guide (all competitions)

England: WWWWWWWWWW

Serbia: DDDWDWWLLW

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Odds correct at the time of writing.