Serbia without their main forwards against a fearless Greece: Serbia vs Greece prediction
The UEFA Nations League opening-round clash between Serbia and Greece will take place on September 24 at the Rajko Mitić Stadium in Belgrade. The teams are competing in Group 2 of League A alongside Germany and the Netherlands, making a strong start especially important in the battle for the two quarter-final places.
Serbia: problems up front and an attempt to reset their results
Serbia missed out on the 2026 World Cup after finishing third in qualifying, just one point behind Albania. Following a 2-1 win over Latvia, the team played four friendlies in 2026, beating only Saudi Arabia and losing to Spain, Cape Verde and Mexico by an aggregate score of 1:11.
Veljko Paunović faces an additional challenge in the form of several absences. Dušan Vlahović, Nikola Milenković, Predrag Rajković and Aleksandar Mitrović will all miss out through injury, while 37-year-old Dušan Tadić has returned after ending his international career and could make his 112th appearance for the national team.
Greece: rising through the Nations League and trusting youth
Greece also failed to qualify for the World Cup, finishing third in their qualifying group behind Scotland and Denmark. In four matches in 2026, Ivan Jovanović's team have not won a single game: they drew 0-0 with Hungary and 2-2 with Sweden, while suffering 0-1 defeats to Paraguay and Italy.
However, it is in the Nations League that Greece have made significant progress, climbing from League C all the way to League A. In attack, Haralampos Kostoulas deserves close attention after registering four goal contributions in his last two Premier League matches, while Christos Tzolis and Georgios Masouras are also key attacking options.
Match facts and head-to-head record
- Serbia have not won their opening Nations League match since the tournament's inaugural edition in 2018.
- Greece have lost just two of their last ten international matches, recording five wins and three draws.
- The last meeting between the national teams ended in a 2-0 friendly win for Serbia in November 2014.
Visitors can take advantage of the hosts' absences: Serbia vs Greece prediction
Serbia have home advantage, but the absences of Vlahović and Mitrović significantly limit the team's attacking potential. Their recent friendlies have also raised concerns: three defeats and eleven goals conceded in four matches make for a worrying backdrop ahead of the Nations League opener.
Greece look more cohesive and have several young players capable of adding pace and creativity in the final third. In an evenly matched contest, that freshness and a broader range of attacking options could enable the visitors to snatch the result.
