As part of Yugoslavia, Serbia reached the semi-finals of the World Cup, but as Serbia and Serbia, they have never managed to break through from the group stage, and their goal in this tournament is clear, which is to reach the knockout stage for the first time.
Grouping situation
Serbia in the World Preliminary Round to beat Portugal to advance in an undefeated manner, this World Cup, they and Brazil, Switzerland and Cameroon in a group, of which Brazil and Switzerland are old opponents of the last event, this group Brazil is naturally the strongest existence, which means that if Serbia wants to qualify, it must complete the revenge against Switzerland under the premise of defeating Cameroon, the last World Cup they lost 1-2 to Switzerland to lose the opportunity to qualify, but now Serbia is not the same, Coach Stojkovic also made bold remarks, hoping that the team can become a blockbuster in this World Cup.
Review of the previous edition
In the last tournament, Serbia was in the same group as Brazil, Switzerland and Costa Rica, and in the first match against Costa Rica, veteran Kolarov blocked his throat to help Serbia get off to a good start. In the second game they faced Switzerland, Mitrovic scored in the first five minutes, but in the second half Xhaka equalized, Shaqiri scored the decisive goal in the 90th minute, Serbia lost 1-2, and only played Brazil in the final round, but there was still a big gap in the strength of the two teams, and in the end, Serbia lost 0-2 to Brazil, 1-2 ranked third in the group.
Lineup forecast
Stojkovic took over as Tubakovic in February 2021, and the former Guangzhou R&F boss quickly rebuilt the team, qualifying for the World Cup within nine months in his tenure, and has a large number of players available in midfield, but there are still certain hidden dangers in the defensive line compared to the star-studded offensive end, he focuses on a three-centre-back formation, and will adjust the system according to the opponent, often switching between 3-4-2-1 and 3-5-2.
In the goalkeeper position, Turin's Vanya Milinkovic Savic has been a regular in recent games, with Sevilla's Dmitrovic likely to be a substitute, as well as Mallorca's Rajkovic and Roma's Svilar also being selected. Fiorentina's Milenkovic, Salzburg's Pavlović, Bremen's Veliković and Getafe's Mitrovic are more stable options, with Bochum's Masovic, Almeria's Babić and Mallorca's Nastašic as possible substitutes, the defence has conceded only five goals in six of its six UEFA Nations League B group stage games, but World Cup opponents will be more threatening and they must be fully prepared.
In the midfield position, Milinkovic Savage is an all-rounder, he is good at power confrontation, but also has excellent technique, the height of a center forward, but also has the ability to control the ball in the No.10 position, he can destroy the opponent's attack, but also create chances, he has a keen tactical mind, and can seize opportunities to score, watching his game you can hardly observe his holes and weaknesses, he is naturally Stojković's main choice in midfield. Milinkovic is no stranger to his group's strongest rivals, Brazil, having helped Serbia win the 2-1 win over Jesus' Brazil in the 2015 U20 World Cup final and has since become the best midfielder in Serie A, scoring 11 goals and providing 12 assists for Lazio last season. It is worth mentioning that his younger brother is none other than Serbia's recent goalkeeper Vanya Milinkovic Savic.
In addition to Milinkovic, there are many famous players who play in Serie A in the team, Lukić in Turin, Lazovic in Verona, Djuricic in Samp and Ilyich in Verona are all available people, and it is worth mentioning that Gudli, who once played for Guangzhou Evergrande, is currently a regular defender of the Serbian national team, he is experienced and very comprehensive. The team's two wing-backs are Zivkovic of Thessaloniki and Kostic of Juventus, who can cover the entire left side, have excellent running ability, great precision in crosses, and he and Vlahović are a natural match for the forward Vlahović, from the club to the national team.
Kostić's way of playing is actually very simple, he can create a threat by simply taking the ball to the wing and then crossing, he does not like to dribble too much, but prefers to directly hit the defence with speed, he contributed 13 assists at Eintracht Frankfurt last season, and it is no coincidence that his superb crosses will provide plenty of ammunition for his team-mates. Of course, given that teams often need attackers on the wing to defend back, players like Ristić who eat all on the wing will also be in the alternative range.
Up front, Tadic will turn 34 on the opening day of the World Cup, he currently plays for Ajax, is the double captain of club and country, last season played 16 goals and 22 assists explosive statistics, his creativity and inspiration are a precious asset of the team, more than his efficiency, he is more known for the ability to activate his teammates, Mitrovic and Vlahović will benefit from his support, this World Qualifier, Tadic sent 6 assists, it was he who assisted Mitrovic to Portugal, The team was given a direct ticket to Qatar.
The 22-year-old, already a top star in Serie A, joined Juventus from Fiorentina in January and quickly adapted to the new team, scoring a total of 29 goals for both teams last season and faltering this season, Vlahovic is one of the few players in the squad to make a difference. Vlahović as a center forward has strong physical qualities, good at seizing opportunities, can be called a scoring machine, he prefers straight play, likes to use explosive power and power to attack the opponent's defense, we can see the shadow of Haaland in him.
Vlahović's partner Mitrović is also an unrestrained presence, his header ability is world-class, any defense has reason to fear him, after years of polishing, Mishović's temper has gradually transformed into a desire to win, and the 28-year-old is at his peak, scoring 43 goals in 44 Championship games last season and has scored 46 goals in the national team, making him the Serbian national team's top scorer. Stojkovic had a hard time choosing between him and Vlahović, so they were basically allowed to play at the same time, Vlahović was better at his feet, and Mijkovic was in charge of aerial operations. In addition to these three generals, Serbia's alternative center forward is barely available to Jovic, who has been in mediocre form recently.
summary
Serbia is a recognized potential dark horse in this World Cup, their front court has a strong impact, but also a lot of delicate technology, although the main cross, but the team will not frequently long passes in positional battles, nor blindly break through on the side, but a combination of side and center, very patient transmission, looking for loopholes in the opponent's defense. Serbia are resolute and deadly on the counter-attack, while ferocious counter-tackles after conceding goals are also their characteristic. The team's set-piece offensive advantage is obvious, but the defensive line is slightly less stable in comparison, and their defense tends to press higher, which of course puts more pressure on the opponent, but also exposes more holes. When defending, the team will temporarily become a back four, or even a winger will retreat to a back five, which will make it difficult for opponents to organize attacks through the middle.