Serbia – Montenegro : Preview & Prediction
Serbia, who sit second in Group G, cannot officially book their trip to Germany here, but a win would go a long way in their efforts to do so ahead of a final day clash at home to bottom-placed Bulgaria next month. The only team to have defeated Dragan Stojković’s side so far in this qualifying campaign is leaders Hungary, which beat Serbia 2-1 in Budapest on Saturday night to leave them with ten points so far.
The “Eagles” have not been to a European Championship since becoming an independent nation in 2006, and now face the country they broke away from in 2006, Montenegro. Serbia are at least guaranteed a play-off spot thanks to their UEFA Nations League qualification, but this time they will relish their chances of getting there automatically, especially if they can get a win here against the only team that can realistically dislodge them from second place.
Led by Miodrag Radulović, the visitors sit behind Serbia and have a very important game on their hands against their opponents. Just two points behind the second-place home side, a win in Belgrade would allow them to overtake their former compatriots and move up to the automatic places, turning the situation firmly in their favor.
It is worth noting that the “Brave Falcons” are not guaranteed a place in the playoffs, so their only goal is automatic qualification for their first championship as an independent team. They still have to face Lithuania, which harbors some chance of catching up, and with a clash against top-ranked Hungary in November, a loss at Stadion Rajko Mitić could be fatal. And, unfortunately, Montenegro have lost all three of their previous meetings with Serbia since they split, including a 2-0 home defeat in March.
Players to watch: Over the course of his career, Aleksandar Mitrović has averaged a goal every 118 minutes for Serbia and already has three to his name against Tuesday’s opponents. Another former Premier League striker, Stevan Jovetić, could be Montenegro’s best way to score, creating the most of their chances in this qualifying campaign to date (eight).
Key stat: None of Serbia’s last 15 international matches have seen fewer than two goals scored.
Serbia – Montenegro : Betting Tips
Serbia – Win Odds: 1.35
