SlipsTips takes a look at the Bet Builder market ahead of England's opening match of Euro 2024 against Serbia on Sunday night.
Serbia vs England (Sunday, 20:00)
England begin their latest quest for continental glory when they take on Serbia at the Veltins-Arena on Sunday night.
After suffering a penalty-shootout heartbreak in the final of Euro 2020, the Three Lions are the bookmakers' favourites to lift the trophy in Berlin next month.
Serbia, meanwhile, will be appearing at the European Championships as an independent nation for the first time and will be many punters' dark horse selection this summer.
With Gareth Southgate’s side heavy 4/9 (Betfred) favourites to hit the ground running on Sunday night, I'm happier focussing on the Bet Builder market for this Group C clash.
Bundling up England to score alongside both Filip Kostic and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic each to commit a foul will present us with an attractive 10/11 play on Betfred.
Much has been made of England’s shock 1-0 friendly defeat to Iceland last week, but they still possess an abundance of talent, particularly in forward areas.
What’s more, last week’s blank was a bit of a rarity, with Southgate’s side scoring at least once in 15 of their last 17 assignments across all competitions.
While Serbia represent dangerous opponents for England, Dragan Stojkovic’s side have failed to keep their sheets clean in each of their last six competitive contests, which doesn’t augur well ahead of their maiden match of the tournament with star-studded England.
As such, I’ll back the Three Lions to strike at least once here, but to bolster the odds, I’ll also go with Filip Kostic to commit a foul.
While the Serbian left wing-back is not renowned for being a hatchet man, it’s worth pointing out that he has averaged one foul per game throughout his career to date.
With that in mind, coupled with the fact that Kostic is likely to be operating in the same vicinity as foul-magnet Bukayo Saka, he looks like a strong contender to get on the wrong side of the referee at least once.
The aforementioned Saka was one of the most-fouled players in the most recent Premier League season, drawing an average of two fouls per-90 from the opposition.
For the final leg of the Bet Builder, I’m also siding with Sergej Milinkovic-Savic to fall foul of the referee at least once during this Sunday night showdown in Gelsenkirchen.
The Serbian midfield warrior has never been one to shy away from a tackle, as evidenced by the fact that he has averaged 1.6 fouls per-game across his career before making the move to Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal last summer.
Recommended Bet
- Over 0 England Goals
- Filip Kostic 1+ Foul
- Sergej Milinkovic-Savic 1+ Foul
- Bet Builder – 10/11 (Betfred)
Freelance Sports Writer and Betting Analyst with over five years experience. I’ve written football and darts betting content for some of the biggest betting websites and newspapers in the UK. With a strong passion for the fascinating world of Scottish football, I also regularly feature in Nutmeg, the much-loved Scottish football magazine. Falkirk season ticket holder and avid watcher of football and darts, whether it be UK-based or further afield. Feel free to follow me on X @SlipsTips
