The final rehearsal before the home World Cup. Prediction for the Mexico vs Serbia match
In an international friendly in Toluca, Mexico will face Serbia. The match kicks off in the early hours of Friday, June 5, at 04:00 Central European Time. I’m putting forward a pick for the winner of this encounter.
H2H and statistical facts
- Mexico are unbeaten in seven straight matches.
- Serbia have lost their last three away games by a combined score of 0:8.
- The two teams have met once before, in 2011, when the European side lost 0-2.
- Mexico have conceded just one goal in their last seven matches.
The Mexican national team comes into this match in a far more positive state of mind. They’ve put together a confident run, showing consistent results in recent friendlies.
Mexico drew with Belgium (1-1) and Portugal (0-0), and secured wins over Iceland (4-0) and Bolivia (1-0), demonstrating a solid balance between attack and defense. Their well-organized defensive play really stands out, with the team compact at the back and rarely allowing opponents any real danger.
Mexico rely on aggressive pressing and rapid transitions from defense to attack. They’re comfortable against teams that try to dictate the game, often exploiting the space left behind the opposition’s back line.
This will be Javier Aguirre’s squad’s final test ahead of the home World Cup. Mexico have already beaten Ghana and Australia in recent outings, and will kick off the tournament against South Africa on June 11.
Serbia, on the other hand, failed to qualify for the World Cup, stumbling in the qualifiers where they just couldn’t find consistency in key matches. Despite boasting some star attacking talent, the Serbs too often dropped points against direct rivals and ultimately missed out on a ticket to the world stage.
In decisive games, the team looked unstable, suffering defensive lapses and losing concentration late on. The defeats to England and Albania were especially painful, effectively ending Serbia’s hopes of qualification.
Missing out on the World Cup was a serious blow to the team’s ambitions, raising questions about tactical organization and coaching decisions. Recent friendly results haven’t helped morale either: two defeats and a lone win over Saudi Arabia.
The March loss to Spain (0-3) was no major surprise, but the recent fiasco against Cape Verde triggered a new wave of criticism. In Lisbon, Paunović’s men were routed 0-3 by the bold African side, putting in a performance well below expectations.
What’s the bet?
Despite their attacking firepower, Serbia continue to struggle defensively and have trouble organizing their play against strong opponents. Mexico, by contrast, look disciplined, physically robust, and have shown consistent form against high-level teams. I believe Mexico have what it takes to get the win here and head into the World Cup opener in high spirits.
