Our prediction for this Nations League match:
Out-of-sorts Switzerland will try to put an end to their five-game winless run in all competitions when they face Serbia at Letzigrund Stadion (Zurich). The Rossocrociati are desperate to record their first win of the process and we are positive that they will go all guns blazing at the Eagles. Bear in mind, though, that all Manuel Akandji, Denis Zakaria, Dan Ndoye, and Pascal Loretz have been ruled out with injuries. Serbia, on the other hand, aim to recover from a 3-0 loss to Spain.
As Juventus star striker Dusan Vlahovic is back to the squad, we believe that there is a big value in betting on both teams to score. However, Al Ahli's Sergej Milinkovic-Savic remains out of the squad, joined by goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic and winger Veljko Birmancevic, who also miss out on the selection. It has to be noted that ten goals in total have been netted in the previous three encounters between the two sides.
Highlighted Player (Granit Xhaka):
Granit Xhaka is widely regarded as one of Europe’s most talented central midfielders at the moment and he is on the radar of quite a few high-profile sides. Just two seasons at FC Basel proved enough to attract interest from Borussia M’gladbach, who secured his signature in the summer of 2012.
The Switzerland international had a slow start to his career in Germany, causing many pundits to start doubting his credentials, but he eventually turn things around to show he is more than capable of playing at the highest level. Acting as a deep-lying playmaker, Xhaka impressed fans and pundits alike with his performances in Bundesliga and European competitions, and he even managed to score a couple of important goals in the process.
Despite his fragile age, the highly regarded footballer has been a key member of the Switzerland national team for quite some time now, scoring 6 goals in his first 40 caps to establish himself as a real leader of the Rossocrociati. The 2014 World Cup, where he scored one goal in four starts, should prove just the first of many major tournaments to come.
Highlighted Team (Serbia):
Serbia have been playing as an independent nation since 2006. The Serbs made it to the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals and despite defeating star-studded Germany in the group stages of the showpiece tournament in South Africa, they eventually failed to book their place in the last 16. The Eagles, though, failed to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil as they experienced all sorts of problems in their qualifying group.
A number of top-class footballers played for Serbia and former Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic is regarded as one of the best players in the history of the Serbian national team. Vidic scored two goals in 56 appearances for Serbia and he announced his retirement from the national team on 24 October, 2011.
The Eagles play their home game at Stadion Rajko Mitic and it has to be noted that they defeated Czech Republic 3-1 in their first international game under the name of Serbia. Serbia play their home games in red shirts and red shorts, while the colour of their away kit is white.