Sports Mole previews Monday’s Nations League clash between Serbia and Denmark, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Going head to head for a place in the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals, Serbia and Denmark will clash in Leskovac on Monday evening.
With Spain distant winners, second spot in League A Group 4 is still up for grabs: Denmark will qualify if they avoid defeat, but their hosts can snatch second place with a win.
Match preview
After sharing two late goals with Switzerland on Friday night, Serbia sit third in Group 4 with one game to go, meaning their Nations League destiny is in their own hands as they seek a first-ever entry to the knockout phase.
By scoring on the counter in the 88th minute, with Aleksa Terzic finishing off a swift counter-attack, the Eagles both relegated their Swiss counterparts and boosted their hopes of catching second-placed Denmark on the final day.
Having taken four points from Switzerland and only one from Spain – in addition to a 2-0 defeat in Denmark – a tally of five sees Serbia lying two behind Monday’s visitors.
Considering the abundance of proven goalscorers in his squad, Dragan Stojkovic will surely be concerned about scoring a mere three goals in five group games so far.
Therefore, Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic and all-time top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic may be feeling the pressure heading into a must-win finale, as losing would also result in a relegation playoff.
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Beaten by Spain for the second time in just over a month, Denmark’s 2-1 defeat in Copenhagen means that they must now stop Serbia from winning again.
Having held their rivals to a goalless draw at Euro 2024, then beaten them 2-0 in September, the Danes may have a slight psychological edge – though part three of the trilogy will take place on Serbian soil.
Former Anderlecht boss and Brentford assistant Brian Riemer may have suffered a setback in his first match as national team manager, but his side stayed second in Group 4 and are now 90 minutes away from reaching the Nations League’s new quarter-final stage.
Including Gustav Isaksen‘s strike against Spain on Friday night, Denmark have scored more than twice as many goals as their final opponents, who they last lost to almost exactly 10 years ago.
Since then, they have won three of four games against Serbia without conceding a goal, and Riemer will be intent on extending that trend at the compact Stadion Dubocica, which holds around 8,000 fans – being spared a trip to Belgrade may prove a blessing.
Serbia Nations League form:
Serbia form (all competitions):
Denmark Nations League form:
Denmark form (all competitions):
Team News
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Usually set up in a 3-4-1-2 formation, Serbia should pair captain Aleksandar Mitrovic – who is seeking his 60th international goal and has scored regularly for Saudi Pro League giants Al-Hilal – with Dusan Vlahovic up front. AC Milan striker Luka Jovic has been sidelined by a hernia problem.
Another Saudi-based star, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic has been left out by Dragan Stojkovic this month, while his brother, goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, withdrew after being selected.
The latter’s Torino teammate Ivan Ilic is unavailable due to a knee injury, so Nemanja Gudelj and Nemanja Maksimovic are favourites to start in central midfield.
Meanwhile, new Denmark coach Brian Riemer will take charge of his first away fixture on Monday and has several big calls to make: notably, Rasmus Hojlund fired another blank against Spain and has only scored twice for Manchester United this season.
Kasper Dolberg and Yussuf Poulsen are also vying to lead the line, while wide men Andreas Skov Olsen, Gustav Isaksen and Patrick Dorgu all appeared from the bench on Friday and could pep up the Danish attack.
Captain Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg should be joined by Sporting Lisbon dynamo Morten Hjulmand in the engine room, with Christian Eriksen perhaps taking a more advanced role.
Serbia possible starting lineup:
Petrovic; Stojic, Milenkovic, Pavlovic; Nedeljkovic, Maksimovic, Gudelj, Terzic; Samardzic; Vlahovic, Mitrovic
Denmark possible starting lineup:
Schmeichel; Bah, Andersen, Vestergaard, Kristiansen; Hjulmand, Hojbjerg; Skov Olsen, Eriksen, Dorgu; Hojlund
We say: Serbia 1-1 Denmark
Denmark can hold out for a draw against one of the lowest-scoring teams in League A, securing their spot in the Nations League’s last eight.
Rarely able to click in the final third, Serbia will also have modest support behind them in Leskovac, which is far less intimidating than Belgrade’s menacing Marakana.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
