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Played
August 15, 2012 7:45 PM BST
Stadion Crvena Zvezda — Beograd
Referee:‬ A. Tudor‎
Attendance:‬ 7800‎
 

Serbia - Republic of Ireland Preview: Trapattoni's men hoping to overcome Euro 2012 disappointment

After a poor showing this summer, the Irish will be desperate for a victory to boost their confidence, although their opposition will provide them with a tricky tie in Belgrade

By Joe Krishnan

More On :  Republic of Ireland, Serbia, Serbia vs Republic of Ireland
Giovanni Trapattoni - Ireland
Getty Images
  PROBABLE LINEUPS

SERBIA

Stojkovic
Bisevac, Ivanovic, Subotic, Kolarov
Basta, Ninkovic
Tosic, Kuzmanovic, Tadic
Markovic
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

Westwood
Kelly, McShane, O'Dea, O'Shea
McClean, Whelan, McCarthy, McGeady
Walters, Long

The hosts will have a new-look squad on show as new coach Sinisa Mihajlovic looks to stamp his authortiy on the national team.

Promising 18-year-old striker Lazar Markovic makes the squad for just the second time, having made his debut back in February against Armenia, while Fiorentina's young left-back Matija Nastasic is also included.

Branislav Ivanovic and Aleksandr Kolarov, who both played in the Community Shield on Sunday, are both expected to start in defence, while former Manchester United winger Zoran Tosic is poised to start on the right-hand side of midfield.

Meanwhile, Giovanni Trapattoni will have his work cut out putting together his Ireland side for the friendly after a series of withdrawals left the tactician with few options in all areas.

Wolves pair Stephen Ward (bruised leg) and Kevin Doyle (knee) have been ruled out of the friendly, while Marc Wilson, Keith Treacy, Anthony Pilkington and Wes Hoolahan are all also unavailable due to injury.

After Shay Given's retirement from international football, Sunderland's Keiren Westwood will be determined to step up to the mark and cement his place in the team, with the 27-year-old set to earn his 11th cap.

With several replacements called up to replace the injured stars, veteran coach Trapattoni has also opted to rest senior players such as Richard Dunne and Damien Duff ahead of the start of the new Premier League season, with the Italian keen to give his younger players a chance to prove themselves ahead of the World Cup 2014 qualifiers later this year.

As a result, James McClean and Seamus Coleman are likely to be in contention for a start, while Wigan central midfielder James McCarthy could start alongside Glenn Whelan in the centre of midfield. His Stoke team-mate, Jonathan Walters, will partner Shane Long in attack.

  DID YOU KNOW?
  • Serbia coach Sinisa Mihajlovic, who has been in charge since May 2012, scored nine times in 63 appearances as a player for Yugoslavia and also Serbia & Montenegro, and played in the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 tournaments.
  • Mihajlovic's men have not won a fixture in their last four games - their last victory was a 2-0 win over Armenia in February - and have only scored once in the process.
  • Republic of Ireland lost all three of their group matches at this summer's European Championships in Poland & Ukraine, scoring just once while conceding nine times.
  • Of the 23-man squad picked by Giovanni Trapattoni for the friendly, only Aiden McGeady of Spartak Moscow based is not based in the United Kingdom, with the squad also containing no home-based Irish players.
  • Ireland's 73-year-old coach Trapattoni is in his 38th year as a football manager, having had spells with Milan, Juventus and Bayern Munich before taking the national team job in 2008.
  • The two nations last met each other in a friendly at Croke Park, Dublin, in 2008, when Andy Keogh's 90th-minute equaliser denied Serbia victory after Marko Pantelic's opener.

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Field Report
Reader's Predictions
Top 3 Predictions
  • Serbia 2-0 Republic of Ireland
    21.78 %
  • Serbia 2-1 Republic of Ireland
    11.88 %
  • Serbia 3-1 Republic of Ireland
    10.89 %
Head to Head
International Friendlies ‎(FR)‎ 15 Aug 2012 Serbia 0 - Republic of Ireland 0
  • Player Ratings
  • Match Report
  • Play by Play
  • Preview
International Friendlies ‎(FR)‎ 24 May 2008 Republic of Ireland 1 - Serbia 1
  • Player Ratings
  • Match Report
  • Play by Play
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Last Five Matches
Serbia
26 Mar 2013Serbia 2 - Scotland 0WCQE
22 Mar 2013Croatia 2 - Serbia 0WCQE
6 Feb 2013Cyprus 1 - Serbia 3FR
14 Nov 2012Chile 1 - Serbia 3FR
16 Oct 2012Macedonia FYR 1 - Serbia 0WCQE
Republic of Ireland
26 Mar 2013Republic of Ireland 2 - Austria 2WCQE
22 Mar 2013Sweden 0 - Republic of Ireland 0WCQE
6 Feb 2013Republic of Ireland 2 - Poland 0FR
14 Nov 2012Republic of Ireland 0 - Greece 1FR
16 Oct 2012Faroe Islands 1 - Republic of Ireland 4WCQE
Odds
Returns: Serbia £170.00 Bet365 Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200
Returns: Draw £35.00 PaddyPower Sign up to Paddy Power for £250 in free bets
Returns: Ireland £290.00 Bet365 Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200
Team News
Available Squads
1Vladimir StojkovicGoalkeeper
12Aleksandar KolarovDefender
4Branislav IvanovicDefender
-Milan BiševacDefender
-Matija NastasicDefender
-Aleksandar IgnjovskiMidfielder
-Zdravko KuzmanovicMidfielder
-Srđan MijailovićMidfielder
22Zoran TosicMidfielder
12Dusan TadicMidfielder
-Dejan Lekic
-Nikola MaksimovićDefender
-Lazar MarkovićStriker
-Filip DjuricicMidfielder
-Milos Ninkovic
13Dušan BastaDefender
21Nemanja TomicMidfielder
16Keiren WestwoodGoalkeeper
18Darren O'DeaDefender
4John O'SheaDefender
-Paul McShane
12Stephen KellyDefender
-Aiden McGeady
22James McCleanMidfielder
6Glenn WhelanMidfielder
-James McCarthyMidfielder
14Jonathan WaltersStriker
20Simon CoxStriker
19Shane LongStriker
21Paul GreenMidfielder
21Andy KeoghMidfielder
-Joey O'Brien
7Seamus ColemanMidfielder
Players to Watch
Lazar Marković
Lazar Marković
Position: Striker
Squad Number: 0
Games Goals YC RC
0 0 0 0
Arguably the most exciting talent to come out of Serbia since the country gained independence, Markovic has been interesting the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool after some stunning displays last season. Voted Player of the Year by Partizan Belgrade's fans, Markovic wowed European scouts, scoring six goals in 26 games as well as creating many for his team-mates on the way to the domestic title. A playmaker with also an eye for goal, he's a player in the mould of Stevan Jovetic, so it's easy to see why Partizan want to hang on to him for another year or two.
James McClean
James McClean
Position: Midfielder
Squad Number: 22
Games Goals YC RC
1 0 0 0
The former Derry City winger has improved dramatically over the last 18 months and showed signs of his true potential in the latter stages of last season. Just 23 years of age, McClean provides optimism to any Ireland fan who may fear that the new talent isn't good enough. Quick, agile and hard-working, McClean is a dangerous asset on the wings and he could cause the likes of Ivanovic and Subotic some problems in this friendly.
Prediction
Both sides are well overdue a victory, especially Ireland after their poor display this summer. The visitors will be looking to Shane Long to provide his deadly finishing touch to any move created. That being said, Belgrade is one of the most hostile atmospheres to play within and the Irish fans must be at the their best to motivate the team to come out victorious. A stalemate could well be the on the cards, with both managers looking to experiment during the game.
Editor's Prediction
Serbia 1
Ireland 1
Results
ALL MATCHES >>
 
Top Scorers
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Ashraf Nu'man Alfawaghra Ashraf Nu'man Alfawaghra
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Al Faisaly Amman 		4 1
Andreas Cornelius Andreas Cornelius
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FC Copenhagen 		4 1
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HJK Helsinki 		3 1
Fred Fred
Striker
Fluminense 		3 0
Felipe Caicedo Felipe Caicedo
Striker
Lokomotiv 		3 0

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