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Serbia national football team performance under Paunović

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2026-10-05 07:51 UTC → 2026-10-05 09:22 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The Serbian national football team has faced significant scrutiny under manager Veljko Paunović following a period of poor performance. Early assessments of Paunović’s tenure noted a record of two wins and six losses in his first eight matches, leading to concerns regarding the team’s tactical identity and lack of continuity in squad selection. As the Nations League campaign progressed, the situation intensified after the team suffered three consecutive losses against Greece, Germany, and the Netherlands. Sitting at the bottom of Group A2 with zero points, Paunović has called for a “mental and tactical reaction” ahead of upcoming fixtures, noting a lack of offensive presence and energy in recent matches. In their latest fixture at the Philips Stadion in Eindhoven, Serbia suffered a 2-1 defeat to the Netherlands. Teun Koopmeiners opened the scoring for the Dutch side with a free kick in the 31st minute, but Serbia responded quickly when 19-year-old Mihajlo Cvetković scored a header in the 35th minute following an assist from Aleksa Terzić. The match was ultimately decided in the 72nd minute by a goal from substitute Joshua ~~Zirkzee.~~ Zirkzee, following an assist from Tijjani Reijnders. While the loss marks Serbia’s fourth consecutive defeat in the tournament, Cvetković’s performance was noted as a bright spot. The result leaves Serbia at the bottom of Group A2 with zero points from four matches. The match also marked Virgil van Dijk’s 100th international appearance. While the Netherlands remains undefeated under manager Xavi Hernández, Serbia faces a difficult path to remain in the top tier of the competition.

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