Ahead of their returns to Euro 2024 qualifying at the weekend, Belgium and Serbia will meet in an international friendly in Brussels on Wednesday.
The hosts will return to action for the first time since their abandoned game against Sweden in October, having already qualified for next year's tournament, while their visitors' bid for qualification rests on Sunday's meeting with Bulgaria.
Match preview
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Belgium will return to action in their capital city on Wednesday after the early abandonment of their last home outing against Sweden last month, as the contest was brought to an end at half time following the tragic shooting of two civilians near the stadium.
The two nations were tied at a goal apiece at the time, as Romelu Lukaku had drawn the Red Devils level from the penalty spot on the hour-mark after Viktor Gyokeres's early opener for the visitors, and it would then be announced that it would be settled as a draw as opposed to being replayed.
Prior to that abandonment, under the new management of Domenico Tedesco following Roberto Martinez's departure, Belgium had already done enough to book their place in a third straight European Championship group stage, as they picked up five wins and a draw from the first six qualifying games, scoring 16 goals along the way while only conceding three at the other end.
Indeed, after their disappointing exit from the World Cup group stage late last year, Tedesco has inspired an eight-match unbeaten run in all competitions, and that will now be put to the test against a Serbia side who the Red Devils last met in 2013, when they completed a double over Wednesday's visitors in World Cup qualifying.
They will now aim to return with a home victory on Wednesday before welcoming Azerbaijan for their final qualifying match on Sunday and turning their focus towards next year's tournament.
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The visitors, meanwhile, will head into the first meeting between these sides in 10 years with a more important qualifying match to build towards, as they look to go top of their group in their final outing this weekend.
In their bid to reach the European Championship group stage for the first time since the dissolution of Yugoslavia and subsequently Serbia and Montenegro, Serbia sit second in their qualifying group with 13 points on the board from their seven matches, having managed four victories while only suffering two defeats.
Their strong position in the top two is largely thanks to a 3-1 victory in a crucial meeting with Montenegro last time around at the end of the October round of international games, having gone into the game just two points better off than the third-placed nation and extended that lead thanks to Aleksandar Mitrovic's brace and Dusan Tadic's 77th-minute goal.
As a result of that important victory, Dragan Stojkovic's side now lead Montenegro, who boast a game in hand, by five points in qualifying, meaning if the chasing side slip up, or if the Eagles beat bottom nation Bulgaria on Sunday, they will guarantee a spot in next year's competition in Germany.
With the hopes of qualification now in their own hands, Serbia will be keen to build momentum ahead of their final game at the weekend with what would be an impressive first-ever victory against Belgium.
Team News
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Domenico Tedesco has called up a strong Belgium squad for the upcoming friendly and the weekend's meeting with Azerbaijan, although key midfielder Kevin De Bruyne does remain out of action through injury, as does Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Everton's Amadou Onana will return to contention, though, after missing the Sweden contest through suspension, and he could come back into the midfield from the outset alongside Youri Tielemans and Orel Mangala, while Wout Faes and veteran Jan Vertonghen will likely continue to partner up in the middle of the defence.
Their line will be led by Romelu Lukaku, who leads the Red Devils' all-time scoring charts with 79 goals in his 112 international caps, while competition is rife to join him with Manchester City's Jeremy Doku, RB Leipzig's Lois Openda, Sevilla's Dodi Lukebakio and Arsenal's Leandro Trossard all vying for spots in attack with Charles De Ketelaere also missing out through injury.
Serbia should field a full-strength starting XI in their bid to build confidence ahead of Sunday's important qualifying game, although Dragan Stojkovic is also without a key midfielder as Al-Hilal's Sergej Milinkovic-Savic is sidelined by injury.
In his absence, Sasa Lukic and Nemanja Gudelj may again partner up in the engine room, while their line will be led by Milinkovic-Savic's fellow Al-Hilal star Aleksandar Mitrovic, who leads his own nation's scoring charts with 57 goals for the Eagles having also scored 17 goals in 17 appearances in all competitions for his new side so far this season.
He could be joined in a front three by Juventus's Dusan Vlahovic and talismanic captain Dusan Tadic, while Filip Kostic will offer further attacking support from a wing-back role.
Belgium possible starting lineup:
Sels; Castagne, Faes, Vertonghen, Theate; Tielemans, Onana, Mangala; Doku, Lukaku, Trossard
Serbia possible starting lineup:
V Milinkovic-Savic; Milenkovic, Veljkovic, Pavlovic; Zivkovic, Gudelj, Lukic, Kostic; Tadic, Mitrovic, Vlahovic
We say: Belgium 2-1 Serbia
Belgium are without several key men, while Serbia have more to build towards this weekend, but the hosts still boast more quality throughout their squad and should have enough to come out on top in Brussels.
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Sam Varley
