Serbia and Switzerland are set to resume their UEFA Nations League campaigns with a clash at the Dubocica Stadium in Leskovac on Saturday night. Both teams have struggled so far in League A Group 4, starting with winless records and trailing behind the current leaders, Denmark.
Over the past 16 months, Serbia has had a tough time finding consistent form, managing only four wins, five draws, and seven losses in their last 16 international matches.
Under coach Dragan Stojkovic, they couldn't secure a win at Euro 2024, finishing last in their group, although they did earn a respectable point from a goalless draw against European champions Spain in their opening Nations League match last month.
However, they were unable to build on that, suffering a 2-0 defeat to Denmark shortly after, which leaves them third in their group and five points behind the Danes.
Currently ranked 35th in the world by FIFA, Serbia is facing a rare dry spell, having failed to score in three straight matches for the first time since 2012. They are eager to break a five-game winless streak and can find some hope in their home form, as they haven’t lost in their last seven matches at home, winning five and drawing two.
On the other hand, Switzerland, managed by Murat Yakin, has its own challenges. Despite moving up to League A in the past three Nations League tournaments, they’ve only won seven of their 18 matches in this league.
After a solid eight-game unbeaten run, they stumbled in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024, losing on penalties to England, and have since dropped both their opening Nations League matches against Denmark and Spain. A 2-0 loss to Denmark was followed by a 4-1 defeat to Spain, despite the latter playing with 10 men for over an hour.
Ranked 15th in the world, Switzerland currently sits at the bottom of League A Group 4 without any points. They can’t afford to lose many more points in their upcoming games against Serbia and Denmark if they want to stay in the race for the top spot.
The Swiss have struggled on the road lately, winning only one of their last five international away matches. However, they have had success against Serbia in the past, winning their last two encounters a 2-1 victory in a World Cup qualifier in June 2018 and a thrilling 3-2 win in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Serbia will be missing several key players for their upcoming match, including Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, Andrija Zivkovic, and Ivan Ilic due to injuries. Additionally, Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic has not been called up because of "family problems."
Predrag Rajkovic is likely to start in goal, with Strahinja Erakovic, Nikola Milenkovic, and Strahinja Pavlovic forming the central defense. Kosta Nedeljkovic and Veljko Birmancevic will play as wing-backs.
Seventeen-year-old Andrija Maksimovic from Red Star Belgrade is one of four uncapped midfielders in coach Dragan Stojkovic's squad, but he's expected to come off the bench behind established players like Sasa Lukic and Marko Grujic. Serbia’s all-time leading scorer, Aleksandar Mitrovic, who has 58 goals, is expected to lead the attack.
On the Switzerland side, Ruben Vargas is out with an ankle injury, while Denis Zakaria and Becir Omeragic are sidelined with knee issues. Omeragic was replaced by Eray Comert after he withdrew from the squad on Monday.
Granit Xhaka and Nico Elvedi, who were suspended for the last match after being sent off in the opening Nations League game, are now available and are expected to return to the lineup Xhaka in midfield and Elvedi in defense.
Zeki Amdouni, who scored against Spain in their last game, is likely to keep his spot in the attack, partnering with Breel Embolo and either Dan Ndoye or Kwadwo Duah.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Serbia possible starting lineup:
Rajkovic; Erakovic, Milenkovic, Pavlovic; Nedeljkovic, Lukic, Grujic, Maksimovic, Birmancevic; Samardzic; Mitrovic
Switzerland possible starting lineup:
Kobel; Elvedi, Akanji, Rodriguez; Widmer, Freuler, Xhaka, Aebischer; Ndoye, Amdouni; Embolo
EXPERT PREDICTION
Serbia 0-1 Switzerland
Both Serbia and Switzerland have struggled to find their scoring touch in recent international matches, especially Serbia. This could lead to a low-scoring game this weekend.
Switzerland has had the upper hand in their last two encounters with Serbia, and we think they might edge it again, potentially securing a narrow victory to help them climb out of the bottom of the group.
