Serbia v Ireland predictions: Goal-shy Ireland could grab a valuable draw

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Serbia v Ireland in the World Cup 2022 European Qualifiers on Wednesday.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Football, 7.45pm Wednesday

Best bet

Draw
1pt 13-5 bet365, Betfred

Team news

Serbia
Alexander Kolarov and Adem Lajic have not been picked while Luka Milivojevic has retired from international football.

Ireland
Darren Randolph, Kevin Long, John Egan, Conor Hourihane and James McCarthy are among Ireland's absentees due to injuries.

Match preview

Ireland have been unable to win or even find the net under Stephen Kenny, but they would happily accept a 0-0 draw in Belgrade to kick off their World Cup qualifying campaign.

Serbia are a short price to pile more misery on the under-pressure Kenny, but they don't make much appeal given their form is pretty average as well.

The value bet, especially if goals are scarce, ought to be the draw, which the Irish would regard as an excellent result.

The lads in green have yet to win in eight under Kenny and haven't scored in their last seven outings. Given their options in attack it's hard to be bullish about them finding the net in Belgrade, though they will be a threat from set-plays when they win any.

Kenny has any number of selection headaches - can he shoehorn both Seamus Coleman and Matt Doherty into the side, does he stick with skipper Shane Duffy, is in-form Anderlecht youngster Josh Cullen worth a punt, and is Shane Long still an option?

Playing three - or five - at the back might address the first two of those conundrums and make Ireland accordingly harder to break down.

And it isn't as though the Serbs, now under new management, appear a major threat.

Dragan Stojkovic, whose only management experience was in the Far East, has taken the Eagles' reins, and is under instruction to improve a team beaten by Scotland in the Euro playoffs and who failed to win five of their six Nations League games in the autumn.

Their attacking options are theoretically better, although Aleksandar Mitrovic can't get a game at Fulham and Luka Jovic has yet to recover from his tough time at Real Madrid.

Key stat

Ireland have not scored in their last seven games.

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