It is predicted to be an even and tough match when Norway takes on Serbia at Ullevaal on Thursday night. But among the Serbian people, the mood does not seem to be at its best.
On Thursday night, the nation will stand still when the Norwegian national team plays the semifinals in the European Championship playoffs against Serbia.
Lars Lagerbäck & co. is only two games away from the first major championship since the year 2000, and with perhaps the world’s hottest tip at the top, optimism is present before kick-off.
See video at the top of the case: National team magazine before Norway – Serbia
– People have given up
The online newspaper has had a chat with Milos Dusanovic, who has just over 20,000 followers twitterkontoen Serbian Football, about how it is with Serbia before Thursday’s thriller.
There, the situation is not very rosy, he can reveal.
– People in Serbia have for years been tired of the national team’s weak performance. Very few Serbs care about this match, and even fewer expect a victory. People have given up this team, says Dusanovic to Nettavisen.
And then there was this with the world’s hottest tip then.
The Serbs have naturally seen what Erling Braut Haaland has achieved over the past year.
– We are all about what danger he poses. Our defense lacks speed, so he is a big threat, says the Serb.
– Must use unsightly means
But where Norway has Haaland, Serbia has Aleksandar Mitrovic.
The attacking champion has replaced goals for Fulham and became Serbia’s top scorer in the European Championship qualifiers with ten online acquaintances.
Mitrovic stands with an impressive 35 goals in 57 A-international matches.
– How can Norway stop Mitrovic?
– I’m not sure. You have to use ugly means and frustrate him, but I do not know if you have the type of players in Norway that can be such a plague and a nuisance, says Dusanovic.
– How do you assess Serbia’s strengths and weaknesses?
– We have a very experienced team, much more experienced than Norway. Our players are also in good shape and at the start of the season, and we have a dangerous attacking game with especially Dusan Tadic and Aleksandar Mitrovic. We are also dangerous on the dead balls Kolarov hits, and we have many good head players. The weaknesses are in defense. It is quite common that we are terrible there, and our defense is constantly changing. In recent years, it has been impossible to find a defensive line that works.
– Nikola Maksimovic and his Napoli did not show up for the match against Juventus this weekend because they run their own corona protocol which means that they are in quarantine. Is he expected to join the rest of the Serbia squad for Norway?
– Maksimovic plays well for Napoli, but for Serbia he is very unstable. He is always clumsy and makes stupid mistakes. Hopefully he does not play against Norway, because he has been the player we have been able to trust at least in recent years.
Dusanovic is not alone in his home country in being skeptical of Serbia’s chances against Norway.
– Only God can save us
The very experienced Serbian football profile Dragoslav Stepanovic, with many years in German football behind him both as a player and coach, speaks in religious terms in his assessment of the match.
– Only God can save us from Haaland, he says in a title in Serbia’s largest newspaper Informer.
Stepanovic thinks Norway are big favorites.
– Serbia has no chance in Oslo, he states.
The winner of Thursday’s match will meet the winner of Israel – Scotland in a clean final for a European Championship ticket.
Strong squad
Serbia’s coach Ljubisa Tumbakovic has taken out 30 players for the European Championship match against Norway. 23 of these are under contract with clubs in Europe’s five top leagues (England, France, Italy, Spain and Germany), writes NTB.
Serbia is number 31 on the FIFA rankings against Norway’s 44th place.
It is open to 200 spectators at Ullevaal, and 180 of these tickets go to regular grandstand wearers.
After the Serbia meeting, Norway will play new home matches against Romania (Sunday) and Northern Ireland (Wednesday). These are matches in the Nations League, where Norway has opened with a loss against Austria and a victory against Northern Ireland.
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