Serbia 0-1 England (Bellingham 13′)
VELTINS-ARENA – It was the sort of run that simply can’t be taught.
Jude Bellingham almost supernaturally knew what would happen when he passed the ball to Kyle Walker. That the full-back would find Bukayo Saka with the pass. That Saka would burst past his man on the right and cross.
And so Bellingham, who had timed his move into Serbia’s penalty area perfectly, leapt. He didn’t just jump; he soared, hung in the air like Michael Jordan. He threw his head where he knew it could get hurt and sent the ball crashing past Serbia goalkeeper Predrag Rajković.
Serbia had come to Gelsenkirchen to park a big red bus, only to be smashed aside by England’s wrecking ball.
“Hey Jude” reverberated around England’s half of the stadium. Expect that to become a familiar sound throughout Germany and this tournament.
England’s tournament was off to a flyer. Following some shaky form and a final warm-up defeat to Iceland that added a layer of anxiety and uncertainty to the tournament build-up, nobody knew what was going to happen on Sunday night.
But this was the moment that settled everything, that England would propel England into proceedings. Only… it wasn’t.
First, to Bellingham’s first half. Few England footballers have played better. In a thrillingly febrile atmosphere, when he wasn’t attacking, Bellingham was back tackling, back clearing the lines, back to collect the ball from defenders to spark plays once more.
When Serbia had a corner in the final minutes of the first half, Bellingham was the player at the front post to clear.
And there was a moment, shortly before half-time, when he turned a Serbia player on the edge of his own penalty area. He was clearly fouled, got back to his feet and beat the player again, driving up the pitch with the ball until Nemanja Gudelj finally brought him down with a challenge that earned a yellow card.
It was an extraordinary level of confidence to want to dominate the ball that few footballers ever possess.
It proved a masterstroke from Gareth Southgate to rest the Real Madrid forward in England’s final two warm-up games after a long, dazzling season winning La Liga and the Champions League.
But, for all Bellingham’s brilliance, a worrying unease crept in during the second half and then took hold. From almost total control — to lost control.
Questions remain whether Trent Alexander-Arnold is good enough defensively to play in central midfield alongside Declan Rice.
It was a bold call by Southgate, but he was substituted for Conor Gallagher when England couldn’t get near the ball for 20 minutes. England were at least able to get some kind of foothold back in a game that was slipping beneath their feet.
And there are other creases that require ironing out. Phil Foden, starting from the left, was given the freedom to float around, but looked all at sea, and still can’t quite seem to replicate that special form for Manchester City playing for England.
Harry Kane only touched the ball twice in the whole first half. Though he dropped deeper and was far more involved in the second 45, and was unfortunate not to score when a close-range header was somehow flicked onto the crossbar, Southgate will want to ensure his captain is not so isolated for 45 minutes again.
Still, while it wasn’t the defensive test that England would’ve wanted, in any game, it was a test the defence stood up to.
Marc Guehi, the young centre-back thrown into the tournament by Harry Maguire’s injury, was assured and dynamic. John Stones was typically good. Jordan Pickford made saves when required.
A job done, of sorts. Three points, when four will probably secure a place in the knockouts.
But it should, really, have been a game England won more comfortably, after which all anyone talked about was Jude Bellingham, rather than some significant areas of concern.