Under-21s Head Coach expecting a tough double-header against Serbia next month.

Stuart Pearce anticipates a difficult double-header against Serbia next month, with a place at Euro 2013 up for grabs.

The England Under-21s Head Coach was in Nyon, Switzerland on Friday and saw his team drawn against the Serbians in the play-off.

52 teams originally set out on the Road to Israel with the ten group winners and four best runners-up still needing to win a two-legged tie to join the hosts in the Finals in June.

The Three Lions are the only team to have qualified for the previous three Finals tournament and will hope to make that a fourth consecutive appearance next summer.

Pearce said: "It's a difficult tie for us, no doubt. But when you are down to the last 14 in Europe you know you are not going to get an easy draw.

"It's a real tough draw, they are an emerging side. I spoke to Savo Milosevic about them and they, like us, have had a number of players move up to their senior team.

"This will be great experience for our players and the team that performs best, takes their chances and keeps eleven players on the pitch will go to Israel."

With both nations winning their respective groups without defeat, Pearce reckons his young Lions will need to be at the top of their game next month. 

He believes there are no easy matches at this stage of the competition and says the four best-placed runners-up will provide a stern test in their two-legged knock-out games.

"People would have looked at the draw and hoped for a runner-up, but the runners-up all made it to the Final last time. That shows the strength of the competition.

"Whatever is said we will have to be at our best to make it to the Finals. However, I'm sure anyone looking at Bowl A would not have wanted to see England come out of the hat either."

The play-off draw in full
Spain v Denmark
Italy v Sweden
Czech Republic v Russia
Slovakia v Holland
Germany v Switzerland
England v Serbia
France v Norway

Teams listed first play at home first.

Matches will be played betwen 12 and 16 October with the seven winners joining hosts Israel in the Final tournament from 5 to 18 June next year.

Details of where and when England will play Serbia will be confirmed here soon.