Evening Standard
·14 June 2024
Evening Standard
·14 June 2024
In-form Aleksandar Mitrovic plotting Three Lions downfall in Group C clash in Gelsenkirchen
Serbia will be hoping to cause an early upset when they take on England in their Euro 2024 opener on Sunday.
Dragan Stojkovic’s side arrive in Germany similar to the Three Lions in having experienced mixed fortunes during last week’s final warm-up friendlies, losing 2-1 to Austria in Vienna before brushing aside Sweden 3-0 in Solna last Saturday.
Serbia are appearing at the European Championship for the very first time as an independent nation, having been knocked out in the group stages of three of the past four World Cup tournaments.
They finished as runners-up behind Hungary in qualifying, taking second spot and automatic qualification from Group G with four total wins from their eight matches.
Serbia are captained by 35-year-old former Southampton stalwart Dusan Tadic, who now plays his club football in Turkey with Fenerbahce, via Ajax.
An impressive attack is spearheaded by former Fulham and Newcastle frontman Aleksandar Mitrovic, who is now scoring for fun in Saudi Arabia with Al-Hilal, supported by Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic with AC Milan’s Luka Jovic in reserve.
Fulham’s Sasa Lukic and Filip Kostic of Juventus will start in midfield, with Djordje Petrovic among their goalkeeping options after he replaced Robert Sanchez as Chelsea’s No1 midway through the domestic season.
However, he has only earned three senior international caps to date and will likely have to play second fiddle to Torino’s Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, whose older brother Sergej - formerly of Lazio - is another key cog in this team.
Predicted Serbia XI: V Milinkovic-Savic; Milenkovic, Veljkovic, Pavlovic; Zivkovic, S Milinkovic-Savic, Lukic, Kostic; Tadic; Mitrovic, Vlahovic
Time and date: 8pm BST on Sunday June 16, 2024
Venue: Arena AufSchalke (Veltins-Arena), Gelsenkirchen
TV channel: BBC One
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