England will take on Serbia at the Rajko Mitic Stadium in their latest tie of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers on Tuesday, looking to continue their impressive run of form.

England have picked up four wins in a row in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers, and they are full of confidence and momentum heading into the tie vs Serbia. Thomas Tuchel will demand another strong performance from his players, and it will be interesting to see if they can grind out all three points.

On paper, the Three Lions are the better team, and they will be expected to pick up a win here. Meanwhile, Serbia are no pushovers, and they will look to make life difficult for England. The Eagles have picked up two wins and a draw from their three qualifying fixtures so far.

The home side will certainly look to grind out a positive result at home. This will be a difficult outing for Serbia, but England cannot afford to underestimate the opposition. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.

Team News & Tactics

Serbia

Dragan Stojkovic does not have any major injury issues heading into this game, and he should be able to feel the full strength lineup this midweek. Serbia are likely to shape up in a 3-5-2 formation vs England, with Djordje Petrovic in goal.

In the back three, Milos Veljkovic will start alongside Nikola Milenkovic and Strahinja Pavlovic. Andrija Zivkovic and Filip Kostic will start as the wing-backs. They will look to protect the team defensively and help out during transitions.

As for the midfield unit, Nemanja Maksimovic will add physicality, defensive cover and control to the side in the middle of the park along with Nemanja Gudelj and Sasa Lukic. Finally, Aleksandar Mitrovic will lead the line for Serbia alongside Dusan Vlahovic.

Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Petrovic; Veljkovic, Milenkovic, Pavlovic; Zivkovic, Maksimovic, Gudelj, Lukic, Kostic; Mitrovic, Vlahovic

England

Adam Wharton, Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham, and Levi Colwill are all notable absentees for the away side. England are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Serbia, with Jordan Pickford in goal.

Reece James and Myles Lewis-Skelly will start in the full-back areas. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. At the heart of the defence, Ezri Konsa will likely start alongside Marc Guehi.

As for the midfield unit, Declan Rice will start in the double pivot alongside Jordan Henderson. The two players will look to provide defensive cover from the deep. Morgan Rogers will be deployed in the attacking midfield role, and he will look to open up chances in the final third.

Noni Madueke and Marcus Rashford will start on the flanks. They will look to add pace, flair, and unpredictability to the attack. Finally, Harry Kane will lead the line for England vs England on Tuesday.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Pickford; James, Konsa, Guehi, Lewis-Skelly; Rice, Henderson; Madueke, Rogers, Rashford; Kane

Key Stats

• Serbia are unbeaten in their last five matches in all competitions.
• England have picked up four wins from their last five matches in all competitions.
• England have picked up two wins from their last two matches against Serbia.
• England and Serbia are yet to concede in the World Cup qualifiers.

Player to Watch

Declan Rice

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The Arsenal midfielder is our key player to watch out for. Serbia will offer a lot of physicality, and England will need to dominate the midfield contest. Rice could prove to be a vital player for England here.

The former West Ham United captain will help break up opposition’s attacking moves, and his physicality will play a key role in England controlling the game from the deep. He will also add drive from the middle of the park. It will be interesting to see if the Arsenal star can put on a defining performance for his country.

Prediction

Serbia 1-2 England

Both teams will be looking to pick up a win here, and this is likely to be a crunch contest. The two sides are capable of grinding out a good result against each other. This will be a close game, and it will be difficult to separate Serbia and England.

Both sides are likely to get on the score sheet, but England have greater depth in the attacking unit and they should be able to find a way past Serbia. A narrow victory is on the cards for the away side. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Thomas Tuchel and his charges.