Luxembourg V Serbia
Tuesday 10th September 2019 – 19:45 Kick-Off
UEFA European Championship Qualifying
Pick: Luxembourg +1.75 Asian Handicap
Odds: 71/100
Bookmaker: MarathonBet
 |
1 | X | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23/2 | 99/20 | 11/50 |
* (All betting odds displayed were correct as of 8th September 2019 at 00:05)
Preview: Serbia will not want to relinquish any more ground in Group B, with anything less than maximum points from this trip to Luxembourg likely to prove costly in their mission to finish in the top two places in Group B. Will Serbia depart the Stade Josy Barthel in Luxembourg City with three vital points?
UEFA Euro 2020 Qualifying Betting – 22bet
Luxembourg Preview – Hosts to keep scoreline respectable once again?
We are approaching the midway point of Euro 2020 Qualifying and one team who can feel reasonably satisfied with their work so far are Luxembourg, who did spend a couple months in second spot in Group B before slipping down to third a matter of days ago. Their four points from as many games is currently good enough for third in the section, although there is now the very real prospect of them not registering another point between now and the end of the campaign.
Luxembourg have used up their two ‘winnable’ fixtures, recording a win (2-1 at home) and a draw (1-1 away) against Lithuania. Meetings with Ukraine returned no points though, but the manner of those defeats was at least encouraging. There is no disgrace for them in losing 1-0 in Kiev, while they even had the audacity of taking the lead in the home encounter before an own goal in the closing minutes condemned them to a cruel 2-1 defeat.
Clearly, then, there is the potential for The Red Lions providing some resistance here. Furthermore, Belarus are the only team to have beaten them by more than a solitary goal in the last 14 games (W5 D4 L5), with the latest being an incredibly unfortunate 1-0 defeat to the current leaders of Group C, going down 1-0 in Northern Ireland in a friendly on Thursday courtesy of a bizarre own goal.
Serbia Preview – The Eagles to secure three vital points?
Just days after being on the wrong end of an absorbing encounter with one of their main rivals for automatic qualification, this Serbia team head to Luxembourg knowing a big performance is needed if they are to make up some of the ground that was lost last time out. The situation as it stands has a precariousness to it: Ukraine now have serious breathing space at the top of the standings, while Portugal are a point clear of them in second having played a game less.
The good news is that Serbia have already ticked off three of their more difficult fixtures in this group. The bad news is that those same fixtures returned a measly one point. Saturday’s home defeat at the hands of Portugal (2-4) was their second loss of the campaign, although it wasn’t nearly as painful, nor humiliating, as the one suffered in Ukraine back in June when they were thumped 5-0.
Coach Ljubisa Tumbakovic did witness some rather more accomplished performances earlier in the campaign, though, in drawing 1-1 in Portugal and recording a 4-1 win over Lithuania at home. Yet getting the same tune out of these players remains an issue. That Lithuania victory remains their only win in the last five games (W1 D2 L2), while it is no clean sheet in the last seven.
Luxembourg V Serbia Key Facts:
- Luxembourg have improved at home of late, losing only twice in their last eight such matches (W4 D2 L2).
- Serbia have failed to win any of their last four away games (D3 L1) but have only tasted defeat the once in the previous ten away from home (W5 D4 L1).
- This will be the very first meeting between these two teams.
Betting Summary
A decent showing in the recent Nations League tournament, when finishing second in a group containing opponents of a similar stature to their own, clearly had a morale boosting effect on Luxembourg, who made it very tough for Ukraine earlier in the campaign when losing by the odd goal home and away and claimed four points from games against Lithuania. Moreover, just one of their previous fourteen matches has seen them beaten by more than a single goal margin.
That 4-2 loss at home to Portugal at the weekend could very well have taken more than physical energy out of this Serbia side. That was an absorbing game, one Serbia gave everything in to keep clawing themselves back into the contest. So there could be some fatigued legs making their way to Luxembourg.
Luxembourg have not been comprehensively beaten all that often lately. Meanwhile, Serbia have only scored two or more goals twice in their last twelve away assignments. So this may not be straightforward for the visitors, who were pushed all the way in a six-goal classic just three days earlier. Luxembourg or Draw (Double Chance) is a whopping 16/5 with Betfair, though it might be safer siding with the home side on the Asian Handicap instead.
