Serbia vs Norway || UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE - LEAGUE B - ROUND 1
Serbia will begin their 2022/23 UNL Group B4 campaign at the Rajko Miti Stadium in Belgrade, after avoiding relegation back to Group C on goal difference alone in the previous edition of the UEFA Nations League (UNL). Serbia's defeat to Denmark in late March interrupted a seven-game winning streak (D1), which includes a memorable victory in Portugal to seal a spot in this year's World Cup finals in Qatar.
They haven't scored a goal of their own after that historic win, with an own goal against Hungary being their only goal in two 2022 matches (W1, L1) (1-0). The challenge is made more difficult by the absence of Serie A's top scorer from last season, Duan Vlahovi, who was forced to withdraw from the squad due to injury, but Serbia can take heart from their victory over Norway in 2020.
Norway is off to a strong start in 2022, having won both of their games by a combined score of 11-0, including a 9-0 demolition of Armenia in their most recent play. It was the perfect answer after missing out on World Cup Qualification (WCQ) in the autumn, and they will now utilise this competition as a possible springboard to finally ending their 22-year wait for a position in a major tournament final.
Norway was a strong competitor in their group until late in the last UNL, but they have only won once on the road since then (D1, L1). They did, however, score more points away from home (10 vs. 8) during the previous WCQ campaign, including three 'to-nil' victories, which could indicate improved road form in this competition this time around.
Players to watch: Aleksandar Mitrovi had a fantastic season for Fulham, scoring 43 league goals, and will face Erling Haaland, the visitors' greatest danger, who scored six of his past eight goals for Norway before the break.
Serbia vs. Norway Preview: Predictions, Team News, and Lineups
Serbia welcomes Norway to Belgrade on Thursday to begin their new UEFA Nations League campaign, which will kick off a busy time of international action.
The League B Group 4 opponents meet at Stadion Rajko Mitic once more in Europe's second tier, with both teams aiming for promotion from a group that also includes Sweden and Slovenia.
Serbia has been preparing for the next World Cup finals in Qatar after snatching automatic qualification away from Portugal in dramatic circumstances late in stoppage time of their final Group A encounter.
Following mixed fortunes in their springtime friendlies, the Eagles are back in competitive play, six months after Aleksandar Mitrovic's last-gasp goal in Lisbon. The Eagles have 20 points from their eight qualifying ties, three clear at the top of the table.
Dragan Stojkovic's team upset Hungary by an own goal in March, then travelled to Denmark to face fellow World Cup finalists Denmark, coming in Copenhagen on the back of a seven-game unbeaten streak.
They struggled to cope with a clinical home team in a chastening 3-0 defeat, which was a test of their credentials as contenders for a place in the knockout stage. Comeback youngster Christian Eriksen was among the scores in a chastening 3-0 defeat.
Serbia, who will be in Group A alongside Brazil, Cameroon, and Switzerland at this winter's global gathering, won only one of their previous six Nations League matches, and will be hoping to get off to a better start in their first four games, which will take place over the next fortnight.
Norway has a similarly crowded post-season schedule in June, as the Nordic nation faces local rivals Sweden both at home and away, as well as hosting Slovenia in between.
Stale Solbakken's side, on the other hand, will not be preparing to play on the game's biggest stage, having finished last in World Cup qualification Group G and, despite the emergence of a potential generation, have failed to reach the finals since 1998.
The Lions finished third in a three-way tie for first place with the Netherlands and Turkey, and a startling lack of firepower - given an assault that had Erling Haaland, Alexander Sorloth, and captain Martin Odegaard - ultimately cost them dearly: Norway's final two games went without scoring.
They did, however, only surrender eight times in the process, averaging less than a goal per game, and were similarly stingy in their previous Nations League campaign.
At League B level, allowing just seven goals on their way to second place behind Group 1 winners Austria was a decent performance, and following consecutive friendly wins in March - by an 11-0 aggregate score against Slovakia and Armenia - Norway looked to be a threat on the other end.
Despite being included in Dragan Stojkovic's initial 34-man roster, star striker Dusan Vlahovic has been pulled out of Serbia's four Nations League games this summer.
The Juventus attacker, who was left off the final list owing to an unclear injury worry, scored 24 times in 36 Serie A games last season, although Aleksandar Mitrovic (44 goals; 71 caps) and Real Madrid's forgotten man Luka Jovic are expected to shoulder the hosts' offensive burden.
Captain Dusan Tadic, who has 84 international caps to his name, is also a creative force for the Serbs, most likely as a playmaker in a 3-4-1-2 formation.
Norway, on the other hand, can draw upon their most famous centre-forward, Erling Haaland, who has 22 goals to his name.
Serbia has not lost at home since the end of 2020, and with the fight for spots heating up ahead of an interesting winter in the Middle East, they should be at their best on Thursday.
While Norway's current crop is undoubtedly their most talented in decades, few teams in Belgrade impose terms, thus the visitors' Nations League campaign could be doomed from the start.
