Prediction: Serbia vs Scotland

Verdict: Serbia win

Best odds: 13/20

Bookmaker: Betfair

Serbia will play host to Scotland at the Rajko Mitic Stadium in Belgrade on Thursday evening, in a game which will send the winner straight to the European championship next year.

Serbia

Ljubisa Tumbakovic’s team sit bottom of League B Group 3 in the UEFA Nations League after four rounds, behind Russia, Hungary and Turkey, but at the moment, that will mean little as they put all their efforts into this clash, this one chance to reach the Euros for the first time since they took to the international stage as Serbia.

Talking to the press ahead of the clash, Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic and Ajax winger Dusan Tadic both emphasized the need to take Scotland seriously, and while Mitrovic believes any moment in the game could decide its winner, Tadic warned against underestimating the visitors.

Speaking of Mitrovic, it should be said that only Harry Kane (12), Cristiano Ronaldo and Eran Zahavi (both 11) scored more goals in the Euro qualifiers than him (10).

Serbia’s greatest worry at this point will be their recent form. They won only one of their last six matches in all competitions, drawing three and losing two.

To get to this final, the Serbs had to go through Norway and they did that through a nice mixture of quality, resilience and tactical discipline. The score was 1-1 after 90 minutes, courtesy of Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Mathias Normann, but the Lazio midfielder managed to strike again in extra-time to see his team through.

Team News

Tumbakovic sweated waiting to learn if his players from Serie A will be allowed to take part due to coronavirus restrictions, but his captain, Inter Milan left-back Aleksandar Kolarov, Lazio’s Milinkovic-Savic, defender Nikola Milenkovic and striker Dusan Vlahovic have all arrived to Belgrade. As things stand, it seems they will play.

On the other hand, Sassuolo winger Filip Djuricic tested positive for the coronavirus and is unavailable, as is Werder Bremen defender Milos Veljkovic through injury.

Scotland

Unlike Serbia, Scotland are doing extremely well in the Nations League at the moment. After four rounds, they top the table in League B Group 2, ahead of Czech Republic, Israel and Slovakia. Their recent form is impressive – five wins and one draw in their last six matches in all competitions.

While captain Andy Robertson said both teams will be desperate to get to a major tournament, striker Lyndon Dykes said the team will go into the clash with confidence. For his part, manager Steve Clarke believes his players understand what is at stake here.

Scotland crossed paths with Israel in the semifinals, and after a 0-0 draw both after 90 minutes and extra-time, they managed to go through on penalties.

Team News

Newcastle United winger Ryan Fraser and Norwich City defender Grant Hanley were both forced to pull out of the squad with injuries, but Clarke has no other players of note absent from the Belgrade trip.

Robertson and Arsenal’s Kieran Tierney are both expected to start, Tierney on the left of the back three and the Liverpool man further up as the left wing-back.

Conclusion

Mitrovic is definitely right – this game is not easy to call. Much is at stake, of course, and with no fans in the stadium, there will hardly be any home advantage for his team. Robertson was probably right as well and both teams will be desperate to come out victorious. A tough battle is expected, with neither side taking too much risk for a long time. An early goal at either end could, however, change all that.

Still, it could well be that players like Mitrovic, Milinkovic-Savic and Tadic make a difference upfront for the hosts.

Verdict: Serbia win

Best odds: 13/20

Bookmaker: Betfair