Euro 2024: Serbia are alone, Vlahovic will not be in the starting lineup due to Stojkovic playing striker

It's unclear whether Serbia will be able to scribble its talent again like in previous years. The team is interesting, full of talented youngsters, yet it never manages to reach the end of the final stage. Croatia is ahead of them in that sense. Incredibly, coach Stojkovic - we remember him in Verona in a Hellas jersey - does not play Vlahovic, but prefers another center forward Mitrovic, using a 3-4-2-1 scheme with Milinkovic-Savic and Tadic behind one forward, while Kostic serves balls from the left flank. Plenty of mid-table players, but perhaps lacking something in defense to meet the legitimate expectations of a nation that hasn't had a successful campaign in years.

The road to Euro 2024:

• Serbia vs Lithuania 2-0 (16' Tadic, 53' Vlahovic)
• Montenegro-Serbia 0:2 (78' and 90'+6 Vlahovic)
• Bulgaria vs Serbia 1:1 (47' Despodov (B), 90'+6 Lazovic (C))
• Serbia vs Hungary 1:2 (10' A. Šalaj (S), 34' Varga (B), 36' Orban (B))
• Lithuania vs Serbia 1:3 (21', 32' and 43' Mitrovic (C), 45' Paulauskas (L))
• Hungary vs Serbia 2:1 (20' Varga (B), 33' Pavlovic (C), 34' Sallaj (B))
• Serbia v Montenegro 3:1 (9' and 74' Mitrovic (C), 36' Jovetic (C), 77' Tadic (C))
• Serbia v Bulgaria 2:2 (16' Veljkovic (C), 59' Rusev (B), 62' Despodov (B), 82' Babic (C))

Best scorer: Mitrovic (5 goals)

Most frequently played: Vanya Milinkovic-Savic (8 matches, 720 minutes)

Optimal lineup: Milinkovic-Savic; Veljkovic, Babic, Milenkovic; Zivkovic, Gudel, Lukic, Kostic; Tadic, Milinkovic-Savic; Mitrovic

Star: It's impossible not to give primacy to Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. The difference between having him and not having him is obvious, even Maurizio Sarri and his Lazio have noticed this.

Young and promising player:Lazar Samardzic was already ready to move to Inter last summer, but the deal failed to materialize due to misunderstandings between his father, Pimenta's intermediary and the Nerazzurri executives. The midfielder with good foot skills was liked by all the big European clubs, especially Juventus and Borussia Dortmund. We need to find out if he will stay at Udine in January, but his career is going downhill unless his parents intervene.

Player-market:Dušan Vlahović is not the number one in this team, but it will become clear in June whether or not he will stay in a Juventus shirt. There were no major transfers of forwards last year (except PSG and Bayern) and next year there will probably be a move, as well as Holand and Osimhen. He is obviously not a player for Napoli, but Juventus may decide to sell him profitably.