With goals from Saka and Eze, England's Three Lions defeated Serbia 2-0 in the ninth round of the 2026 World Cup European qualifiers. Tuchel, in an interview, stated that his team had to put in more effort in the second half to keep a clean sheet, and insisted that not all victories are easy.

Rice's free kick in the 28th minute was blocked by Rajkovic. Nico Aurelli controlled the ball outside the penalty area and took a long-range shot, but it was blocked by an opposing player. Saka then volleyed the ball into the net, giving England a 1-0 lead.

In the final stages of the match, Foden dribbled into the edge of the penalty area and passed the ball diagonally to Eze, who then unleashed a long-range shot that found the back of the net, extending England's lead to 2-0.

England ultimately defeated Serbia 2-0 at Wembley Stadium, achieving their seventh consecutive victory and keeping a clean sheet.

England manager Thomas Tuchel said, "It was a tough game, and the reason it was complicated was because they knew us very well, while we knew almost nothing about them. When you look at their squad, you can see that they play for top clubs and in top leagues, and they have individual ability. They came with new energy and treated this game like a final."

“I really liked the team’s performance in the first half. I think we deserved to take the lead and even deserved to score another goal, like Kane’s header. In the second half, we didn’t press well enough. They were able to break away from our deep play and launch quick counter-attacks a few times, so our defense had to work harder to keep a clean sheet.”

Tuchel also said, "We had to overcome some tough moments, but I enjoyed the process. Not all victories are easy, and not all matches result in a 2-0, 3-0, or 5-0 score. We kept a clean sheet, and that ultimately played a decisive role."

"The substitutes had a great impact on the team. After we made substitutions, the game became more open. We brought on high-caliber players, and they wanted to prove themselves on the field."