Ahead of a crucial first test on the road to Russia, Serbian sports writer Miloš Marković has the lowdown from Belgrade, including a sense of disappointment that the hosts won’t get to see Robbie Keane one more time.
A new-look Irish side played out a scoreless draw against Serbia in Belgrade. While scoring chances were few and far between, Giovanni Trapattoni sprung another surprise by opting to abandon his 4-4-2 system in favour of 4-5-1, again answering some of the the criticism that dogged him following the Euros.
Irish football is on the canvas and our national team sporting a bloody nose. Katie Taylor has stolen our hearts after the Boys in Green broke them in June. Yet Giovanni Trapattoni has faced the flurry of punches that have come his way since Euro 2012 and he’s come out fighting.