Serbia World Cup Preview: A Dark Horse With a Loaded Attack

Few teams have as accomplished attacking players as Serbia—and they’ll need to be firing at full capacity based on their group in Qatar.

Serbia was one of the scariest teams coming out of Pot 3 in the World Cup draw, so seeing it drawn with Brazil and Switzerland makes Group G one of the strongest in the entire tournament. But the Serbians won’t be deterred from a challenge after impressing during an inspiring qualifying run. Former standouts like Nemanja Matić, Aleksandar Kolarov and Branislav Ivanović have all retired internationally, but a devastating attack and veteran midfield is expected to lead the way in Qatar.

After missing out on the Euros for the fifth straight tournament (Serbia actually hasn’t qualified for the Euros since it was known as Yugoslavia), Serbia managed to qualify for its second straight World Cup. And it didn’t just sneak in—Serbia went undefeated in eight qualifying matches to top a group that also featured Portugal, leading the group with 18 goals scored.

Serbia is managed by former Yugoslavia midfielder Dragan Stojković, who captained the team at the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000. Since he took over before World Cup qualifying, Serbia has only lost three of 20 games. But even more impressive is that Serbia has conceded two goals in only four of those games despite an inexperienced defense that lost its aging stars. Still, it remains to be seen how it will hold up against an attack like Brazil’s.

Group G Schedule (all times Eastern)

- Brazil, Nov. 24, 2 p.m.

- Cameroon, Nov. 28, 5 a.m.

- Switzerland, Dec. 2, 2 p.m.

Coach

Dragan Stojković, hired in March 2021

Players to Watch

Dušan Vlahović, forward

The Juventus striker, just 22, is already a star in his own right, but the World Cup stage is where he can become a household name if he lives up to his potential—and can overcome a groin injury that has limited his availability in the run-up to Qatar. Vlahović can do it all as a forward, from his incredible finishing ability to hold-up play and aerial prowess in front of goal. We’ll also likely get a chance to see his knack for stunning free-kick goals on full display. Vlahović finished second in Serie A with 24 goals last year, even after making a midseason switch from Fiorentina to Juventus. Vlahović has scored eight goals early in his career for Serbia, although he has yet to score against a World Cup-bound team.

Aleksandar Mitrović, forward

At just 28, Mitrović is already Serbia’s all-time leading goalscorer with 50 goals. The striker scored eight in eight World Cup qualifiers, including the dramatic 90th-minute winner in the final qualifier to defeat Portugal and win the group. Mitrović is also coming off a record season in the Championship, where he recorded the highest-scoring English league season in its current format by scoring 43 goals in 44 league games for Fulham. Mitrović hasn’t missed a beat in the Premier League this season as he sits near the top of the goalscoring charts, only trailing Erling Haaland in goals per 90 minutes.

Dušan Tadić, winger

The former Southampton star, now the captain of Ajax, is the playmaker that makes it all happen for Mitrović and Vlahović. The 33-year-old, who is fifth on Serbia’s all-time appearances list with 90 caps, was a key figure in its qualifying run with two goals and six assists. His knack for the perfect pass and his vision will be critical in Qatar, especially in terms of serving up opportunities for Serbia’s version of the bash brothers up front.

Breakout Candidate

Ivan Ilić, midfielder

Serbia is a team filled with a lot of veteran experience, but a few young stars like Ilić will gain crucial World Cup experience as they look to lead the next generation. After starting out with Red Star Belgrade, the 21-year-old came up through Manchester City’s U-21 setup before sealing a move to Serie A with Hellas Verona. Ilić is a talented defensive midfielder that will look to fill the void in the middle left by Nemanja Matić’s international retirement. In Qatar, Ilić will have his hands full with the experienced midfields of Brazil and Switzerland, but a strong showing would announce his rise to the world.

World Cup History

- 13th appearance (including as Yugoslavia, Serbia and Montenegro)

- Last appearance: 2018 (Round of 16)

- Best finish: Semifinals in 1930 and 1962 (as Yugoslavia)

Outlook and Expectations

In 2018 in Russia, Serbia took the early lead against Switzerland only for Xherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka to score in the second half and start an international uproar by making Albanian nationalist gestures (Serbia was later fined for a crowd that featured discriminatory banners). Also sharing a group with Brazil in 2018, Serbia lost 2–0 to the Brazilians but defeated Costa Rica. This time around, Serbia will look for three points against Cameroon before its showdown with Switzerland.

Maybe in a group that didn’t feature Brazil, reaching the knockout stage could have been a realistic baseline expectation. Drawing Switzerland as the Pot 2 team certainly helps, as opposed to the Netherlands or Germany, but Serbia will have to be up to the challenge and on its game. As long as it takes three points from Cameroon, Serbia will know that its chances of advancing will likely rest on the group finale against the Swiss.

World Cup Squad

GOALKEEPERS: Marko Dmitrović (Sevilla), Vanja Milinković-Savić (Torino), Predrag Rajković (Mallorca)

DEFENDERS: Srđan Babić (Almeria), Strahinja Eraković (Red Star Belgrade), Filip Mladenović (Legia Warsaw), Nikola Milenković (Fiorentina), Stefan Mitrović (Red Star Belgrade), Strahinja Pavlović (Salzburg), Miloš Veljković (Werder Bremen)

MIDFIELDERS: Marko Grujić (Porto), Nemanja Gudelj (Sevilla), Ivan Ilić (Hellas Verona), Filip Kostić (Juventus), Darko Lazović (Hellas Verona), Saša Lukić (Torino), Nemanja Maksimović (Getafe), Sergej Milinković-Savić (Lazio), Uroš Račić (Braga), Andrija Živković (PAOK Thessaloniki)

FORWARDS: Filip Đuričić (Sampdoria), Luka Jović (Fiorentina), Aleksandar Mitrović (Fulham), Nemanja Radonjić (Torino), Dušan Tadić (Ajax), Dušan Vlahović (Juventus)

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