Since coming out second best to Italy's penalty supremacy in 2021, Gareth Southgate's men have witnessed the women's team conquer the continent at Euro 2022, a few months before their quarter-final World Cup exit.

But a word on Serbia, who are playing at the European Championships for the first time as an independent nation and certainly possess the tools to deal England's football's-coming-home aspirations an early blow.

With just an hour to go until kickoff, time for a look at the team news...

SUBS: V. Milinkovic-Savic, Petrovic, Stojic, Maksimovic, Jovic, Tadic, Babic, Mijailovic, Ilic, Ratkov, Samardzic, Gacinovic, Spajic, Mladenovic, Birmancevic

As expected, Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka return, while Trent Alexander-Arnold gets the nod in midfield alongside Declan Rice. Big call from Southgate, but the right one?

His performance against Bosnia-Herzegovina would certainly suggest so. Scored an incredible volley in that game, but THAT switch of play to Jack Grealish...

Conor Gallagher, Adam Wharton and Kobbie Mainoo must wait their turn. Not half-bad options to bring off the bench.

Now, time to run down all the records that captain Harry Kane is 50 minutes away from breaking...

By appearing tonight, Kane will set new records for the most England appearances at the men's Euros (12), the most major tournaments as Three Lions captain (four) and the most major tournament appearances for a male England player (23).

In all truth, individual records are bread and butter for the 30-year-old at this point. But a team trophy...

With Harry Maguire absent, John Stones and Marc Guehi unsurprisingly pair up at the back in front of Jordan Pickford. The former gave England a scare when he came down with a cold last week but was successfully quarantined to his room.

Throwback to the self-isolation era there.

Only one of Dusan Vlahovic or Aleksandar Mitrovic was expected to start Sunday's game. Red herring alert. Both are in the XI.

For those wondering how he has done since leaving Fulham... just the 40 goals in his first 43 games for Al-Hilal.

With the midfield maestro starting, there is no room in the XI for all-time caps leader Dusan Tadic. His Ajax days will never be forgotten. Still as classy as ever at Fenerbahce.

England are without their chief aerial threat, and a third of Serbia's qualifying goals (5/15) were headers, the highest ratio of any team at the finals.

Omen?

However, one Milinkovic-Savic brother - goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic - is snubbed. Mallorca's Predag Rajkovic starts in between the posts after keeping a clean sheet in a recently friendly beating of Sweden.

However, Luke Shaw is still not quite ready after four months out with a muscle problem, so Kieran Trippier holds the fort at left-back again.

However, both Trippier and opposite full-back Kyle Walker could also earn a slice of Three Lions history this evening...

Trevor Brooking currently holds that honour - he was 31 when he netted at Euro 1980. Not exactly ancient eh?

While England are now Euros participants for the 11th time, Serbia had never qualified for the championships as an independent nation before finishing second in their section behind Hungary.

Records and history have been the theme of the tournament so far, and Sunday's game is certainly a landmark occasion for the Eagles.

That occasion still marks the only time that a team has shipped six goals in a men's Euros match... although Scotland certainly came pretty close to matching that record a couple of nights ago.

In fact, their 2022 World Cup campaign may be best remembered for the astonishing acrobatic goal that Richarlison struck against them...

Third place in the Puskas Award for the Tottenham Hotspur man.

Highly successful club career in Japan, too. Prolific playmaker.

As it stands, Southgate will leave the role at the end of the year, and he has hinted as such if another quest for a major honour ends in failure this summer...

That cannot happen, right? It's finally coming home, right?

Apologies to the superstitious fans for that pre-game jinx.

Time for the head-to-head record? I think so... although previous matches between the Three Lions and the Eagles since the latter became independent are, well, non-existent.

Indeed, their last meeting was back in 2003, when England edged out Serbia and Montenegro 2-1 at Leicester City's ground, then known as Walkers Stadium...

Hello Gary Lineker. Hello Thierry Henry. Hello David Beckham.

Our best wishes - and of course, the best wishes of the footballing community - go to him.

However, Yugoslavia emerged triumphant in the most high-profile meeting so far, prevailing 1-0 in the Euro 1968 semis before losing to Italy in the final... one area where both sides can empathise.

Had Slovenia down as my dark horse for the tournament... too early to count my chickens but not a half-bad start...

The 48-year-old could not hold back the tears after officiating Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund's Champions League semi-final second leg several weeks ago.

Referees are humans too.

The customary waving of the tifos is underway. Pickford takes a deep breath in the tunnel, which has cave vibes to celebrate the city's mining history.

Big fan personally.

England up first, drowned out by a cacophony of boos initially, but the boys' voices are booming.

Honestly, that was pretty good. Now times for Serbia's.

Here. We. Go.

This is where it begins.

Kickoff courtesy of England.

Lovely little backheel from Bellingham to Foden just then. How England missed him against Iceland.

Alexander-Arnold sends in a free kick from the right but Serbia clear with ease.

Hopefully not a harbinger of doom...

Serbia keeping England at arm's length for now.

Bellingham wins a foul this time as Lukic grabs a clump of his shirt. England take it short and eventually work it to the back post but Stones is penalised for bringing down Mitrovic.

Saka beats the Serbia offside trap and sends in a deflected cross, which Bellingham charges in to meet and power a header home!

England's Euros campaign off to a flyer!

What a run. What a goal. What a start.

Still plenty of time to go of course, but that was richly deserved.

The Three Lions skipper is staying right on the shoulder of Serbia's last defender rather than dropping deep to flaunt his playmaking prowess.

The England scorer could afford a wry smile.

The Crystal Palace man has looked totally unfazed thus far.

Alexander-Arnold loses the ball in a dangerous area and Mitrovic flashes one just wide of the post from outside the box.

No more of that please boys.

England free kick to the back post which Rice perhaps does not expect to reach him; he chests the ball out for a goal kick.

In the process of firing up the crowd, he gives Kostic an unnecessary shoulder barge. Water under the bridge.

Southgate's men so close to a second!

"It has been the perfect start for England.

"The Three Lions had to be patient in the early stages, but it was a towering header from Bellingham. Serbia are just starting to open up, though, which could bring chances at either end.

"Mitrovic could be a problem for England, and he has already had a sighter. This match is far from over despite the strong start from the Three Lions."

Rice nips in on Mitrovic and England are back in control of the ball again.

He thinks he is barged over by Pavlovic and may have a case, but the referee sees differently.

In the absence of Maguire, the Palace man has done exceptionally well.

This time, Bellingham is there to hack away a poor delivery from the left.

Bellingham again chips in defensively to pick Vlahovic's pocket.

Both men sprawled on the turf and the Sevilla man is booked for his troubles.

Sense that Southgate will be desperate for a second before the break, though...

A consequence of trying to quell Walker and Saka.

What could have been, eh Liverpool fans?

Kostic trudges off and is replaced by Panathinaikos' Filip Mladenovic.

Saka now escapes three red shirts inside his own half but Serbia regain possession.

England have been well on top and deservedly took the lead through an emphatic Bellingham header, while the likes of Saka, Rice and Guehi have also been magnificent.

Pickford has not had a save to make, but England have not fashioned many good chances for a second, and Serbia have shown some attacking intent, albeit without a killer touch.

Stojkovic's side certainly not out of this one.

Tadic is the obvious name that stands out - just the 108 caps for the ex-Southampton man.

However, the 30-year-old needs just one touch to make it count.

WHAT A START FOR ENGLAND! 💥

Jude Bellingham heads the Three Lions ahead 🔥#BBCEuros #Euro2024 #SRBENG pic.twitter.com/CItON2je22 — BBC Sport (@BBCSport) June 16, 2024

Here's the goal, by the way.

Lovely run from Bellingham - completely untracked - and Rajkovic is flat-footed.

I back England to score again, but Serbia should eventually get one right to set up a nervy finale. 2-1 England.

Stojkovic has made a half-time change. Gudelj - on a yellow card - is off. Torino's Ivan Ilic comes on.

The 20-year-old has really defined the term midfield maestro so far tonight.

It's all smiles at the end, though.

"Serbia are a threat here, no doubt about that. England can be pleased with a lot of their work so far, but Serbia are clearly growing in confidence and believe that they can fight back.

Bellingham, Saka and Guehi have been excellent for England, but Kane is finding it difficult to keep hold of the ball. It is delicately poised with a lot of football left to play tonight. Fascinating watch!"

Vlahovic fizzes a ball in from the left across the six-yard box but Trippier is there to intercept.

Alexander-Arnold tries to play provider this time with a low cross to Bellingham, but he is eventually crowded out.

Still, the momentum might be shifting again...

Mladenovic bombs into the box for Serbia and tries to pick out Mitrovic, but Pickford just gets there first and gathers at the second attempt.

And that was Mitrovic's last act. The Al-Hilal man has been huffing and puffing but now cedes his place to Dusan Tadic.

Sasa Lukic is also off for another striker in Luka Jovic, now playing for AC Milan.

Serbia still probing.

England living very dangerously...

Tadic works a yard of space and threads a delicate pass into Jovic's path, but the striker just cannot get the ball under his control and the chance fizzles out.

Ominous signs, though. England must change something, and fast.

Southgate bites the bullet and makes a change. Alexander-Arnold is off, the Duracell bunny Conor Gallagher is on.

Gallagher's energy and pressing will be vital in these final 20 minutes, though.

Zivkovic now makes way as Veljko Birmancevic takes up right-wing duties for the remainder of the match.

Fresh legs for England down the right as Jarrod Bowen replaces Saka, who was exhilarating in the first 45.

Massive stop to keep Serbia in this one.

Pavlovic now goes on a Joel Matip-esque run but can only send a cross into empty space.

He is walking relatively normally as he makes his way to the sidelines.

A quick stretch, a tube of energy gel and he's good to go again.

They can sense an equaliser.

Bellingham's number is up, and he rightfully goes off to a rousing ovation. Nineteen-year-old Kobbie Mainoo is on for his major tournament debut,

Milinkovic-Savic is allowed to let fly from range, nearly a fatal mistake, but his drive is slightly too high and wide.

Squeaky bum time, as Pep Guardiola might now say.

Gallagher wins a free kick inside the Serbia half and will take his sweet time getting up.

One last chance?

It was not pretty, it was not imaginative, it was not all that inspiring, but it is a win. And a very hard-fought one at that.

Bellingham's header is the difference, and England successfully defended for their lives in the second half.

The Three Lions are top of Group C.

Until next time, goodnight!