Preview: Serbia vs. Republic of Ireland - prediction, team news, lineups

Familiar foes Serbia and Republic of Ireland face off Red Star Stadium on Wednesday evening as both nations get their World Cup 2022 qualifying campaign under way.

The two countries were in the same group in the previous World Cup qualifying campaign and will both be looking to match their top-two finishes this time around.

Match preview

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Serbia pipped Ireland to top spot four years ago and the Boys in Green then suffered the ultimate heartbreak by losing their playoff to Denmark.

Ireland are third seeds this time around, behind Serbia and Group A favourites Portugal, so Stephen Kenny will have his work cut out to qualify for Qatar 2022.

Kenny's tenure has not exactly gone to plan thus far, with Ireland failing to win any of the eight games he has taken charge of since succeeding Mick McCarthy.

That winless run includes another qualifying playoff loss, this time to Slovakia on the road to Euro 2020, as well as three draws and three losses in their Nations League campaign.

Expectation levels are not exactly high at the start of this latest campaign, then, as Ireland seek a first win - competitive or non-competitive - since November 2019.

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Serbia are not in much better shape, though, even if they did win their last competitive game 5-0 against Russia four months ago.

The Eagles finished third in their Nations League group and lost to Scotland in their Euro 2020 qualifying playoff, making 2020 a year to forget.

Placed in a favourable group this time around, however, new boss Dragan Stojkovic - formally appointed just this month - will be confident of landing a spot in Qatar.

Taking all competitions into account, Serbia have won just two of their last nine matches, which followed a previous run of four wins in a row.

Now under new management, that is the type of form the Eagles will be looking to repeat to kick off this latest cycle in winning style.

Team News

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The Euro 2020 qualifying failure brought an end to the cycle in more ways than one for Serbia, with Nemanja Matic and Luka Milivojevic among those to retire.

Stojkovic is looking to put his own spin on things and has left Aleksandar Kolarov and Adem Ljajic out of his first squad.

Serbia still boast plenty of talented players, though, not least up top, where Dusan Tadic, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Luka Jovic are expected to start.

As for Ireland, they have lost Caoimhin Kelleher, Kevin Long, Conor Hourihane and Callum O'Dowda to injury for their upcoming fixtures.

Long's absence should see Ciaran Clark partner Shane Duffy in the heart of defence.

Mark Travers, who has struggled for starts on loan at Swindon Town, is in line to feature in goal due to Darren Randolph not being involved in the squad.

Serbia possible starting lineup:
Rajkovic; Gudelj, Milenkovic, Mitrovic; Lazovic, Milinkovic-Savic, Lukic, Kostic; Tadic; Jovic, Mitrovic

Republic of Ireland possible starting lineup:
Travers; Coleman, Duffy, Clark, O'Shea; Robinson, Brady, Knight, Hendrick, McClean; Long

We say: Serbia 1-0 Republic of Ireland

Neither side had the best of years last time out, each falling just short in qualifying for Euro 2020 before disappointing Nations League campaigns.

Republic of Ireland have not beaten Serbia in five previous encounters, including their double header in the World Cup 2018 campaign, and we can see the hosts prevailing again on Wednesday.