Serbia are preparing to host Germany in Belgrade in a crucial UEFA Nations League Group A2 match, with head coach Veljko Paunovic setting out his tactical priorities and key leaders. The game carries major significance for bottom-placed Serbia in their fight against relegation and for Germany as they chase a quarter-final spot.
Group A2 stakes and match context
Serbia will host Germany in Belgrade on Friday in a UEFA Nations League Group A2 encounter. Serbia sit bottom of Group A2 and are fighting to avoid relegation. Jurgen Klopp's Germany side are third in Group A2, three points adrift of the top two.
Germany go into the match against Serbia needing maximum points to maintain pressure on the top two positions in the group before facing the Netherlands in their final group fixture. Germany are aiming for a decisive victory against Serbia to seal their quarter-final push in the UEFA Nations League.
Paunovic’s tactical focus and areas for improvement
Serbia head coach Veljko Paunovic addressed the media at the FSS Sports Center in Stara Pazova ahead of facing Germany at the Rajko Mitic Stadium. He has outlined that Serbia's tactical focus against Germany is on resilience and defensive discipline, and he emphasized that Serbia must deliver a disciplined and dignified performance when facing Germany's high-intensity system.
Paunovic said that Serbia see their match against the Netherlands as one of the benchmarks for improving their game, efficiency and consistency. He stated: "We see the match against the Netherlands as one of the benchmarks. In that direction, we want to improve our game, efficiency and consistency."
Highlighting key areas for improvement against elite opposition, he added: "In football, you have to be consistent in all your actions, not to lose focus. In many situations, we can still improve our game, both without the ball and with the ball, in forward passes, getting to the finish and converting."
Captain Tadic and Mitrovic’s leadership role
Paunovic stated that Dusan Tadic retains the captaincy of Serbia. He also welcomed back striker Aleksandar Mitrovic to lead Serbia's attack against Germany's defence.
Speaking about Mitrovic, Paunovic said: "Mitrovic is very important for us in attack, but also in the team itself, in the group of leaders we have in the locker room."
On how Serbia will manage the forward, he continued: "We will wait for him to arrive, we will talk and see how he feels. We will try to get the most out of what he is ready to give."
Home support and the test of two tough fixtures
Serbia plan to rely on organized home support, including youth groups in the east stand, to create an intense atmosphere for Germany. Both Serbia and Germany are scheduled to hold their final tactical sessions in Belgrade before the match.
Describing the broader significance of the schedule, Paunovic said that the two upcoming matches are a new challenge and an opportunity to see where Serbia are in duels with strong national teams. Rallying his squad for the challenge, he added: "These two matches are a new challenge and an opportunity to see where we are in duels with strong national teams. As the song says, 'the strongest only stay, they never give up'. Whatever the outcome in the Nations League, we will try to get the best out of it."
