World Cup 2022 Team Preview - Serbia

Serbia's odds to win the World Cup

100/1

Best World Cup

Quarter-final 1990 (as Yugoslavia)

2018 World Cup

Group stage

Serbia's World Cup Schedule

• Read a full Group G summary here

Road to Qatar

No country's automatic qualification was more dramatic than that of Serbia, who left it until the 90th minute of their final game in Portugal for Aleksandar Mitrovic to pop up with the goal that earned a 2-1 comeback win and saw the Serbians leapfrog their hosts to nick top spot. They had come back in similar fashion to earn a 2-2 home draw with Portugal, and their automatic qualification was no more than their unbeaten campaign (Won 6, Drew 2) deserved.

Recent form

Since that last-gasp winner that earned them an automatic ticket to Qatar, Serbia have barely looked back. Despite suffering an unexpected 1-0 home defeat to Norway in their opening Nations League game, Serbia bounced back in impressive style, trouncing both Slovenia and Sweden 4-1 at home, before beating Norway 2-0 away from home in the final game to clinch top spot and a place in next year's League B finals.

Serbia squad

Goalkeepers: Marko Dmitrovic (Sevilla), Predrag Rajkovic (Mallorca), Vanja Milinkovic-Savic (Torino).

Defenders: Stefan Mitrovic (Getafe), Nikola Milenkovic (Fiorentina), Strahinja Pavlovic (RB Salzburg), Milos Veljkovic (Werder Bremen), Filip Mladenovic (Legia Warsaw), Strahinja Erakovic (Red Star Belgrade), Srdjan Babic (Almeria).

Midfielders: Nemanja Gudelj (Sevilla), Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (Lazio), Sasa Lukic (Torino), Marko Grujic (Porto), Filip Kostic (Juventus), Uros Racic (Braga), Nemanja Maksimovic (Getafe), Ivan Ilic (Hellas Verona), Andrija Zivkovic (PAOK), Darko Lazovic (Hellas Verona).

Forwards: Dusan Tadic (Ajax), Aleksandar Mitrovic (Fulham), Dusan Vlahovic (Juventus), Filip Duricic (Sampdoria), Luka Jovic (Fiorentina), Nemanja Radonji (Torino).

Team insights

Probable formation: 3-4-3 Since Dragan Stojkovic took the reins as head coach, Serbia have evolved into one of Europe's most potent attacking forces. That strength leads from the front, with Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic heading to Qatar after an impressive return to the Premier League, although there are concerns that he has missed Fulham's last two games with a niggling foot injury. He has also scored six goals in his last five international outings and is likely to start alongside the equally dangerous Luka Jovic and Dusan Vlahovic, who both ply their trade in Serie A. Behind them, Dusan Tadic can offer width or operate at a number 10, while behind him Stojkovic has no shortage of midfield and defensive quality, providing the organised bedrock that has proved difficult to break down in qualifying and beyond.

World Cup prospects

Stojkovic is already likely to have pencilled in Serbia's final game against Switzerland as a likely Group G qualifying decider, but there will be plenty of work to do before then. They have the attacking capabilities to cause Brazil a headache or two in their opener, but much depends on having a fully fit Mitrovic leading the line. Best hope: Quarter-final, with a bit of luck and a fit Mitrovic 

Read more about each of Serbia's Group G opponents:

Brazil, Switzerland, Cameroon