By arlington 
So I was scrolling through my feed yesterday and saw Serbia had a big match coming up. Immediately thought, “Wait, do they even have a shot at qualifying for Euro 2024?” Grabbed my laptop to dig into this because honestly I didn’t know squat about their current situation.
Starting with the Basics
First thing I did was pull up the group standings. Serbia’s in Group G with Hungary, Montenegro and some others. Noticed Hungary’s sitting pretty at the top while Serbia’s second – but not comfortably. Saw they dropped points against Bulgaria last month which made me groan. Like come on guys, that was totally winnable!
Checked their remaining fixtures: two matches left. Away against Hungary on November 19th, then home against Montenegro three days later. Felt my stomach clench because beating Hungary in Budapest? That’s mission impossible territory right there.
Diving into Their Chances
Then I went hunting for Serbia’s historical stats. Damn, they haven’t qualified for Euros since 2000? That’s wild for a country with their talent. Pulled up squad lists and remembered they’ve got Mitrović banging in goals for Fulham, Tadić still pulling strings in midfield, plus that giant Vlahović up front. But the defense? Yikes. Leaks like my grandma’s colander.
Found clips from their last five matches. Noticed two things: first, their midfield gets overrun way too easily. Second, Mitrović takes stupid yellows when frustrated. Talked to my buddy who follows Serbian football obsessively – he kept ranting about how Dragan Stojković’s tactics are too rigid. Honestly felt overwhelmed tracking all these variables.
Putting the Puzzle Together
Sat down with pen and paper to map scenarios. Serbia MUST beat Hungary to have any shot. But even then, they need Lithuania to take points off Montenegro. Looked at Lithuania’s form – they haven’t won a qualifier in two years. Fantastic.
The must-knows that hit me:
- Injury woes: Three starters might miss the Hungary game after last match’s carnage
- Pressure cooker: That Montenegro game’s a derby – cards and chaos guaranteed
- Hungary’s fortress: They haven’t lost a home qualifier since 2019
At this point I realized their chances are slimmer than I thought. It’s not just about talent – the math sucks and history’s against them.
My Final Take
After all that digging? Honestly, it looks grim. Unless Hungary completely implodes or Serbia suddenly turns into prime Barcelona, I don’t see it happening. Which bums me out because I’d love to see Mitrović bullying defenders at the Euros. Left my notes feeling like they’ve got maybe a 20% shot if everything breaks perfectly. But hey – football’s crazy. That’s why we watch.