EC 2008: BELGIUM - SERBIA
SERBIA:
Our national manager Havier Clemente didn't say anything about tomorrow's XI, but our busy reporters watched the final training and this is the XI players that practiced and trained whole day together:
Serbia will probably play in 4-5-1 formation.
Goalie:
Vladimir Stojkovic (Sporting L.) - Good keeper, excellent reflexes, flair, can make terrible and stupid mistakes.
Defence:
Antonio Rukavina (Partizan) - Very good defender, I'm suporter of Red Star but I must say that he is very good
Nemanja Vidić (Manchester U) - We all know who is Nemanja Vidic
Krstajić (Shalke 04) - Old, but reliable
Dragutinović (Sevilla) - In excellent form, standard for Sevilla
Midfield:
Kuzmanović (Fiorentina) - Serbian player from Swiss, we have done everything to make him play for Serbia (he was playing for Swiss youngsters), good player.
Kovačević (Lans) - Real fighter, not much of footballer, we call him Lion Hart, terrible shoot, even worst passing, quite fast.
Koroman (Red Star) - Far the best Red Star player, very good player, played for Portsmouth and CSKA.
Janković (Palermo) - with Zigic and Vidic, far the best Serbian international last season. He was simply outstanding for Mallorca, scored some 11 goals. He posses everything, fair technique, stamina, creativity, straight, good passing and excellent long shot.
Attack:
Pantelić (Hertha) - Do no...good striker, but he is totally out of form now.
Lazović (PSV) <-> [Smiljanić (Espanyol)- playing midfield ].
Important players missing:
Nikola Zigic (Valencia)(Striker) - injured ankle (Big blow. Very big blow. He saved Santander last season with bunch of goals and assists. Transfered to Valencia for 20 mils)
Dejan Stankovic (Inter) - suspended (Somebody thinks that he is some very good player but I don't. When he is playing for Serbia he plays like my grandma. So, better for us that he is not playing)
Milos Krasic (CSKA Moskow) - injured, but he can possibly play some 20 mins. (Fair blow, very good player.)
Mateja Kezman - Clemente doesn't want to call him.
Public expectations:
We all think that we can win. But no one is 100% sure. We'll have a good squad on the pitch, much better than Belgium, but it's an away game. No one thinks about defeat. It's simply impossible and unacceptable.
In interviews with players and manager you can see this:
- Everybody is saying that they are taking this game very serious because we are not expecting to beat Portugal in Lisbon. If we want to qualify, we must have this away win. No excuses.
Belgium
They have big problems with the atmosphere in team. Their best defender Vinsent Company is fined by FA because of talking about that. He is saying that there is some kind of Flaman separatism. They are in bad relations with Valons. He says that it's the same like in their parliament.
Belgians are also having a "change of generation" going on, they have 9 players born 1984. For this game, they recalled some more experienced players.
Our reporters are saying that this will be their squad for tomorrow:
Belgium will play in 4-4-2 or 5-3-2 formations.
My apology to Belgians if I didn't wrote some names right.
G:
Stejnen (Recalled, young Bai blow it up in Finland) - known by threating to Cristiano Ronaldo that he will break his legs.
Def:
Hufkens
Company
Lombarts
Ver Malen
Mid:
Simons
De Fur
Mudin Gaji
Gor[Gerarts]
F:
Sterhele
Denbele
Important players missing:
Daniel van Byten (Bayern) - injury
Kleman - injury
Van Damme - injury
Emil Mpenza - rejected invitation
Whan can I say...we are expecting from Belgians to defend, they don't have some really good and creative players so they will probably wait their chance from counter-attack.
HEAD TO HEAD:
Last 7 games Serbia:
Serbia - Azerbaijan 1:0
Poland - Serbia 1:1
Serbia - Belgium 1:0
Serbia - Armenia 3:0
Kazakhstan - Serbia 2:1
Serbia - Portugal 1:1
Finland - Serbia 0:2
Last 8 games Belgium:
Belgium - Kazakhstan 0:0
Armenia - Belgium 0:1
Serbia - Belgium 1:0
Belgium - Azerbaijan 3:0
Belgium - Poland 0:1
Portugal - Belgium 4:0
Belgium - Portugal 1:2
Finland - Belgium 2:0
Last game in Belgium: Belgium - Serbia 0:2
Verdict:
Considering all this, I must say I believe we can win. Serbia is better team. But Serbia never scores much goals in big and important games against some bigger opponents. N-E-V-E-R! And I'll say again - never!
In last ten games with Italy, Spain, Holland, Portugal always was under 2.5 goals. Only Argentina devastate us 6:1 (Bad day).
We can score 3+ only against weak opponents (Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Armenia...).
Belgium will strive not to lose and not to disgrace them selfs in front of their supporters.
Serbia lacks finishing a bit, especially without Nikola Zigic and Mateja Kezman.
So, if you don't want to risk, take this:
Under 2.5 goals at 1.60
Asian Handicap on Serbia 1.65
I think that this is 99% certain.
If you are a bit braver, you can take:
Serbia to win at 2.35
Value it's worth a risk, so I'll probably take it. But not with some big money. If Serbia win, it will probably be 0:1.
Good luck and gooooo Serbia!
Quote Reply
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Originally Posted by Merlin
