World Cup 2018 Qualifier Preview: Serbia -v- Republic of Ireland

SERBIA

Serbia will entertain Martin O’Neill’s Republic of Ireland in Belgrade on Monday evening as they bid to qualify for their first major tournament since 2010.

Slavoljub Muslin’s side have endured a difficult couple of years with a number of high-profile retirements along with numerous instances of off-field turmoil leading to poor form on the pitch.

The Serbs finished bottom of their Qualification Group for last summer’s Euros, having been deducted points for their involvement in the unsavoury scenes which unfolded during their home encounter with Albania.

They ended their group campaign with a meagre two points and as a result, the pressure is mounting on the national side to produce in qualifying this time around starting with Monday’s home game.

The Serbian team do boast a number of highly regarded players in the form of their ‘skipper and Chelsea right-back Branislav Ivanovic, his club colleague Nemanja Matic and Southampton’s play-maker Dusan Tadic.

Matic’s absence for tomorrow’s crucial group-opener will surely be heavily felt despite Serbia seemingly having a wealth of options in that area of the pitch with CSKA Moscow’s Zoran Tosic and Liverpool loanee Lazar Markovic ready to deputise.

The midfield powerhouse has been his country’s most consistent performer in the days since Nemanja Vidic and Dejan Stankovic called time on their international career, and he will be a huge loss.

Former Bordeaux, Standard Liege and Red Star Belgrade manager Muslin replaced Radovan Curcic for this campaign and the 63-year-old will be eager to get off to a good start against Ireland with Group D’s leadership looking to be firmly up for grabs.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

Post Euros, and post legends, Robbie Keane and Shay Given, the Republic of Ireland will begin their quest towards Russia in 2018 tomorrow night with a tough looking assignment in the Serbian capital.

Despite being handed a tricky looking opener away from home, Martin O’Neill can draw comfort from his side’s record throughout Europe in the last campaign. The Boys in Green defeated both, Gibralter and Georgia on the road, while also securing a dramatic draw in Gelsenkirchen against defending world champions Germany.

However, Ireland’s task tomorrow night has been made more difficult with the news that Everton midfielder James McCarthy has been ruled out of the match with a knee injury, which has been reported to be more severe than first anticipated.

His absence will likely see Burnley’s record signing Jeff Hendrick take his place along centre-field stalwart, Glenn Whelan. The pair’s performances could well hold the key to Ireland securing a positive result in Belgrade, with Whelan acting as chief-bodyguard to Ireland’s vulnerable back-four.

In attacking areas, the burden will almost certainly fall upon Shane Long. The Tipperary native is currently five goals off Niall Quinn in second place in the nation’s all-time top-scorer list. Although, he’s unlikely to surpass Robbie Keane’s 68-goal haul, the Southampton attacker should be targeting Quinn during this campaign.

Ireland warmed up for their first competitive encounter since the game with France in Lyon with an utterly futile friendly international with Oman on Wednesday. The game was only of major significance due to the fact that it allowed the Irish fans to give Robbie Keane a deserved send-off, although the 4-0 victory is irrelevant to the upcoming qualifier, with O’Neill opting to rest some key players. John O’Shea being the most significant of which.

Ahead of the match, Ireland manager Martin O’Neill was speaking to the press and he offered his thoughts on his side’s chances of winning in Belgrade.

O’Neill told RTE.ie: “The game itself here will be exceptionally difficult. From our point of view, I don’t think that it is possible to play for a draw, but in this competition, I feel that this group will be so, so tight, and that every point is going to be valuable and no one will run away with this group at all.”

Referee: Viktor Kassai

MATCH STATS

Ireland have won only twice against the Serbians from ten previous meetings. Serbia have won exactly half of those encounters.

Ireland striker Shane Long is a club colleague of Serbian left-sided player, Dusan Tadic. The pair actually joined Southampton at the same time, the summer of 2014.

Ireland have conceded 15 goals against Serbia in all their meetings, while scoring only nine in reply.

BETTING

Serbia 19/20; Draw 23/10; Republic of Ireland 16/5.

PREDICTION

Serbia 1-1 Republic of Ireland

Serbia:

Injured: Unknown

Doubtful: Unknown

Suspended: Nemanja Matic

Republic of Ireland:

Injured: James McCarthy

Doubtful: Seamus Coleman

Suspended: None