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Serbia national football team
World Cup | Qualifiers
Mar 26, 2013 at 7.30pm UK
 
Scotland national football team

2-0

Match Analysis: Serbia 2-0 Scotland

Sports Mole looks over a fourth straight World Cup qualifying defeat for Scotland in Serbia.

Scotland are still searching for their first win of the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign after tonight's 2-0 defeat in Serbia.

After a goalless and chanceless first period in a boggy Novi Stad, Serbia went ahead on the hour mark through Filip Duricic and doubled their lead five minutes later through the Heerenveen striker once more.

The result leaves Scotland rooted to the bottom of Group A after four straight defeats.

Here, Sports Mole goes over another tough night for the Scots.

Match statistics:

Serbia:
Shots 13
On target 8
Possession 55%
Corners 2
Fouls 13

Scotland:
Shots 4
On target 3
Possession 45%
Corners 1
Fouls 10

Was the result fair?

Without doubt, yes. After the first half Serbia had dominated the ball but a goalless draw would have been about right because of the lack of goalmouth action. However, the hosts continued to plug away and Scotland's defence rewarded them with two very simple goals.

Serbia's performance

The game was never going to be a thriller because of the poor conditions at the Stadion Karadorde but it was Serbia who adapted far better to the tricky turf. They penned Scotland into their own half early on and eventually broke the visitors' resistance. Defence is where Serbia's biggest names lie in the likes of Branilslav Ivanovic, Matija Nastasic and Neven Subotic, and they shut out Scotland for almost all of the match.

Scotland's performance

The Scots knew that any chance of qualification was all but over heading into the match, but they did little to rejuvenate their campaign. Granted, a hostile Serbian stadium isn't the easiest place to do that but the visitors barely had a touch in the opposition half in the opening 30 minutes. However, they were doing well enough keeping Serbia at bay until two lapses in defence presented Duricic with a pair of tap-ins.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Zoran Tosic: Many might give it to Duricic for his brace but it was hardly a good double as both goals were open goals. Tosic gets it for me mainly for his first-half performance where he was the only player to illuminate the game with his tricky feet and dangerous crosses.

Biggest gaffe

Serbia's second came from a catalogue of Scottish errors. First Gary Caldwell and David Marshall couldn't decide who would clear and when Caldwell eventually did he presented it straight to a red shirt and that in turn resulted in a tap-in for Duricic.

Referee performance

Istvan Vad was a bit card-happy but got no major decisions wrong tonight, correctly waving away a couple of desperate penalty appeals.

What next?

Serbia: Next up for Serbia is a trip to Group leaders Belgium on June 7.

Scotland: It doesn't get any easier for Scotland as they travel to second-placed Croatia on June 6.

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Scotland manager Gordon Strachan before his side's match with Estonia on February 6, 2013
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Live Commentary: Serbia 2-0 Scotland - as it happened
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Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Netherlands Netherlands32107
Q Senegal flag Senegal32016
3 Ecuador flag Ecuador31114
4 Qatar Qatar30030

Group B

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Q England flag England32107
Q United States USA31205
3 Iran Iran31023
4 Wales flag Wales30121

Group C

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Q Argentina Argentina32016
Q Poland Poland31114
3 Mexico Mexico31114
4 Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia31023

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
Q France France32016
Q Australia Australia32016
3 Tunisia Tunisia31114
4 Denmark Denmark30121

Group E

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Q Japan Japan32016
Q Spain Spain31114
3 Germany Germany31114
4 Costa Rica flag Costa Rica31023

Group F

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Morocco Morocco32107
Q Croatia Croatia31205
3 Belgium Belgium31114
4 Canada Canada30030

Group G

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Q Brazil Brazil32016
Q Switzerland Switzerland32016
3 Cameroon flag Cameroon31114
4 Serbia Serbia30121

Group H

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Portugal Portugal32016
Q Republic of Korea South Korea31114
3 Uruguay flag Uruguay31114
4 Ghana flag Ghana31023


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