Serbia defender Branislav Ivanovic has claimed that his side will face their toughest test first when taking on the Republic of Ireland in their opening World Cup qualifier.
The Eagles are aiming to reach just a second major tournament finals at the sixth time of asking, starting with a meeting against the fourth seeds in Group D.
Serbia also take on Euro 2016 sides Wales and Austria, as well as Moldova and Georgia, but Chelsea ace Ivanovic is not looking beyond Monday's first game on the long road to Russia 2018.
"Ireland is a very difficult opponent to start the qualification with - I would say the most difficult," he is quoted as saying by The Mirror. "Maybe this isn't something I should be saying ahead of the match, but we will be concentrating a lot on Jon Walters and Shane Long. They are the kind of players who don't need a second for defenders to have a lapse in concentration.
"They make things difficult from start to finish. Ireland are a very, very difficult opponent. They are an opponent that needs be respected, that demands respect. What I'm especially impressed about is their level of continuity. They've been together a while and there's a nice mix of young players and players with experience.
"It might be the fact that I've played in the Premier League for so long that I understand how difficult an opponent Ireland really is. They are aggressive and they make up for any faults that the team might have by giving their all every second, and each of the players are very difficult to defend against."
Serbia finished fourth in qualifying for Euro 2016, winning only two of their eight games.
Daniel Lewis
