Serbia vs Ireland Prediction & Match Preview

Steffen Schmidt - March 22, 2021

Serbia vs Republic of Ireland
World Cup Qualifications
Date: Wednesday, 24 March 2021
Kick-Off at 19.45 UK
Venue: Stadion Rajko Mitic, Belgrade.

Both Serbia and Republic of Ireland will be looking for a fresh start to their World Cup 2022 Qualifications after dismal runs in the previous campaigns.

Neither of the two sides will feature this year’s European Championship, despite it being extended to 24 teams. They are in group with Portugal, meaning that their matches will most likely determine the runners-up at the end of the campaign.

The hosts will enter the new era as the former Red Star Belgrade and Yugoslavia captain Dragan Stojkovic Piksi will make his debut on the bench on Wednesday. Stojkovic is ready to lift the team’s spirits after a horrendous elimination in November’s European Championship play-offs against Scotland.

Since then, the Eagles secured survival in the second tier of the UEFA Nations League by holding Hungary to a 1-1 draw on the road and demolishing Russia 5-0 at home.

Serbia vs Republic of Ireland Head-to-head

• Republic of Ireland have never beaten the Serbians and this will be the sixth encounter between the two outfits.
• The two sides battled each other in the same group in the previous World Cup qualifying campaign.
• The Serbians took four points from two clashes with The Boys in Green (2-2 at home and 0-1 on the road).

Serbia vs Republic of Ireland Prediction

Stephen Kenny will have numerous problems with the squad ahead of a very important Qualifications opener. He will be without the first and the second-choice keepers as both Darren Randolph and Caoimhin Kelleher are ruled out. The former Dundalk boss will also be without several important regulars like John Egan, James McCarthy, Conor Hourihane, Kevin Long, and Callum O’Dowda.

Serbia will be inspired by Dusan Vlahovic who has been flying high in Fiorentina’s shirt lately. He has been by far his team’s top performer in Serie A, netting 12 goals for Viola so far in the season. Dusan has completed a first-half hat-trick in the 1-4 drubbing of Benevento earlier this month.

It will be very interesting to see him cooperating with the likes of Dusan Tadic, Filip Kostic, and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic who have all been enjoying a fabulous spell of form in their respective teams lately.

The home win is a banker at the 1.60 odds, but we will take higher odds for the home win to nil pick at the 2.40 odds.

The second bet is Vlahovic to score anytime at the sky-high 3.40 odds.

Serbia vs Republic of Ireland Bet Tips

• Serbia to win to nil @ 2.40

• Dusan Vlahovic to score anytime @ 3.40.