"Dragan Stojkovic's men will be eager to erase the memory of their 5-0 loss to England last month - a result that halted their early progress and exposed the defensive frailties that had previously gone unpunished. Before that, Serbia had taken seven points from three outings, beating Andorra and Latvia and sharing the spoils with Albania in a goalless draw back in June."
"That draw in Tirana had hinted at Serbia's attacking inconsistency, but the Eagles were clinical in their other early fixtures and still have reason to believe they can finish in the top two. Stojkovic's side have featured in three of the last four World Cups, though each ended in a group-stage exit, including the 2022 edition in Qatar. The coach, now under growing pressure after another early elimination at Euro 2024, will demand a convincing response from his squad."
"Serbia will have to make do without two key figures due to suspensions. Centre-back Nikola Milenkovic was dismissed in the defeat to England, while midfielder Sasa Lukic picked up his third yellow card of the campaign and must also serve a one-match ban. Those absences are likely to bring Milos Veljkovic into the defensive line, with Nemanja Gudelj expected to step into midfield to provide"
Serbia hosts Albania at the Dubocica Stadium in Leskovac as 2026 World Cup qualifying resumes, with Serbia third on seven points from four matches and Albania one point ahead having played one extra game. Serbia suffered a 5-0 loss to England that exposed defensive weaknesses after an earlier run of seven points from three games, including wins over Andorra and Latvia and a goalless draw in Tirana. Historical meetings between the nations are balanced. Nikola Milenkovic and Sasa Lukic are suspended, likely bringing Milos Veljkovic and Nemanja Gudelj into the side, while coach Dragan Stojkovic faces rising pressure.
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