"Thomas Tuchel's England World Cup blueprint faces the acid test against Serbia in the hothouse atmosphere of Belgrade's Rajko Mitic Stadium. England coach Tuchel only has seven more games before he names his squad for next summer's World Cup, but the vital signs of serious progress have yet to be detected. The dull 2-0 victory England ground out against Andorra made it four wins from four in qualifying. England will take a stride towards the showpiece if they can add another three points against Serbia."
"Serbia have been hit with a partial stadium closure reducing the near 52,000-capacity by 15% after supporters were guilty of bad behaviour, including "discrimination and racist abuse" against Andorra in June. The environment is still expected to be boiling inside this atmospheric stadium - home to Red Star Belgrade - with conditions also likely to be extremely warm against Dragan Stojkovic's talented side, who had a 1-0 win in Latvia on Saturday."
"Even the tunnel has assumed legendary status - a two-minute, 240 metre walk from dressing rooms to the pitch. The tunnel is largely unchanged from when it was built in 1963, emerging from behind the goal where Red Star's 'ultras' congregate for club games. It is a nod to Red Star's illustrious history, when the stadium's capacity was 90,000 before seating reduced it to its current figure (51,755)."
Thomas Tuchel's England face a crucial qualifying test in Belgrade with seven matches remaining before World Cup squad selection. England have won four from four and remain untroubled defensively, yet performances have been flat and lacking a distinct identity since Tuchel succeeded Gareth Southgate after Euro 2024. Serbia endured a partial stadium closure after discriminatory and racist abuse by supporters, but the Rajko Mitic Stadium is expected to provide an intense, warm atmosphere. Dragan Stojkovic's Serbia come off a 1-0 win in Latvia and will test England's temperament in hostile surroundings.
Read at www.bbc.com
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