This article is part of the Guardian’s 2018 World Cup Experts’ Network, a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 32 countries who have qualified for Russia. theguardian.com is running previews from two countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 14 June.
Serbia return to the World Cup after failing to qualify for the 2014 tournament. The nation is hoping that Mladen Krstajic’s star-studded squad can overcome a chronic mental fragility which has held them back in the past.
Eight years on from a poor World Cup in South Africa in which they finished bottom of Group D, Serbia aim to ignore the similarities with that 2010 campaign – once again they won their qualifying group – and put in a mentally stronger and and more tactically astute display.
The early signs do not offer the expected level of promise, however. Serbia seemed on course to reach Russia as comprehensive Group D winners in front of Wales and Republic of Ireland but a series of poor displays towards the end of the qualification campaign, equally poor player selection and a lack of tactical versatility from Slavoljub Muslin saw the experienced manager blamed, sacked and replaced by his assistant, Krstajic, despite Serbia qualifying as group winners.
In an effort to distance himself from Muslin and his mentor’s fall, Krstajic introduced a number of tactical tweaks and called up the Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, whose untamed personality did not seem to fit with Muslin’s tranquil nature.
Krstajic, a former Werder Bremen defender, had no such dilemmas about including the 23-year-old. “Our best players will always have a place in my team,” he said. “Sergej Milinkovic-Savic proved he can be counted on for the future and is bound to become the backbone of this squad.”
With The Sergeant – as they call him in Italy – in a pivotal midfield position, Krstajic embarked on an Asian tour in November 2017 to prove that the Lazio man could be trusted to play alongside Manchester United’s Nemanja Matic and the Crystal Palace captain Luka Milivojevic. Milinkovic-Savic’s assist for Adem Ljajic – another one of Muslin’s disputed selection choices – in a 1-1 draw against South Korea was deemed more than enough proof that he will have an important role to play in Russia.
Steering away from the 3-4-3 formation Muslin relied on for the most part of the qualifiers, Krstajic implemented the biggest change in defence. Regarded as the strongest part of Serbia’s team – along with the burgeoning midfield – a backline including Branislav Ivanovic and Aleksandar Kolarov was expected to help forge an impressive wall in front of the goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic. But Krstajic has shaken things up by introducing a 4-2-3-1 system and made Kolarov his captain, which raised a few eyebrows after Ivanovic was stripped of the armband.
The striker is the one part of the team Krstajic will not be altering, with Aleksandar Mitrovic hitting swashbuckling form during his loan at Fulham. The Newcastle reject has come a long way in a matter of months since moving to London and could be Serbia’s biggest fear factor in Russia. He could be the player who glues together all the parts of the puzzle and provides the guts up front that Serbia have been sorely missing on the biggest stage.
Probable starting XI
Which player is going to surprise everyone at the 2018 Fifa World Cup?
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic has surprised everyone this season in Serie A, putting in one commanding display after another for Lazio. The 23-year-old dictates the play similarly to Paul Pogba – and has been linked with a move to Manchester United – but is also capable of playing further forward, just off the striker.
Which player is likely to disappoint?
Dusan Tadic. He must have been affected by some of the negativity surrounding him at Southampton this season and it could disrupt his flow at the World Cup. Tadic played a vital role in helping Serbia reach Russia but the creative midfielder is likely to be pushed further to the right as Krstajic looks to accommodate Milinkovic-Savic. This could easily be a blow to his confidence.
What is the realistic aim for Serbia at the 2018 Fifa World Cup and why?
The Serbian public tends to harbour bloated expectations about the national team’s chances. Traditionally the country has had high-class individuals who have displayed a chronic lack of togetherness at major competitions. Players and fans consider qualifying for the knockout stage behind Brazil a minimum, and elimination at the last-16 stage might be publicly perceived as a huge underachievement.
Milos Markovic writes for Sportske.net.
Follow him on Twitter here.
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