Euro 2008: Serbia hope to wreck Yerevan birthday party

Tomorrow evening, Serbia take on Armenia in Yerevan in a must-win Euro 2008 qualifier. The match is the first part of a double-header that sees them travel to Baku on Wednesday to face Azerbaijan, as they attempt to make ground on their rivals for a place in next year’s championships, Poland, Finland and Portugal. Euro 2008: Serbia hope to wreck Yerevan birthday party As things stand, thanks to Branislav Ivanovic's late equalizer last month in Lisbon, qualification remains in their own hands. However, coach Javier Clemente knows that this means nothing less than the maximum six points from their mini tour of the former Soviet republics, followed by a further two victories back in Belgrade next month against Kazakhstan and Poland. “I repeat that we are still masters of our own destiny. We haven’t come to Yerevan to calculate, but to take three points, as there are no more second chances. I realize we’re still lacking in a few areas, that through a lack of experience we’ve played one match superbly, another terribly, that there’ve been tactical mistakes, but we’re doing our best to raise our game for the climax,” stressed the Spaniard. Tomorrow’s opponents should under no circumstances be taken lightly, especially given Serbia’s tendency to struggle against the supposed minnows. A year ago in Belgrade, the Armenians were comfortably dispatched 3-0, but it is the side’s home performances that have most caught the eye during the current campaign. Finland were held to a goalless draw a ago year, and more recently they ended Poland’s six-match winning streak with a 1-0 victory, while Portugal too were lucky to escape with a share of the points after a 1-1 draw. The Armenians will be further motivated by the fact that this week the capital, Yerevan, celebrates its 2,800th birthday. “I think that the home team will be motivated to pull off another turn-up, having already upset Portugal, Poland and Finland… Teams like that can cause us problems, but I reckon we’ll open them up early doors, and finish off the job,” says defender Igor Duljaj who should win his 49th cap tomorrow. In team news, Nikola Zigic should return to the starting line-up having fully recovered from the injury that restricted him to the subs’ bench in Lisbon. He is likely to play on his own up front, while Hertha Berlin striker Marko Pantelic, who in spite of some good performances has yet to break his goalscoring duck in the current campaign, is likely to be a substitute. Tomorrow’s match kicks off at 5 p.m. at the Republic Stadium, while elsewhere in Group A, Azerbaijan take on Portugal, Poland play host to Kazakhstan, while in Brussels, Belgium welcome Finland, the group's surprise package. Serbian players celebrate late equalizer in Lisbon (FoNet)

Euro 2008: Serbia hope to wreck Yerevan birthday party

As things stand, thanks to Branislav Ivanović's late equalizer last month in Lisbon, qualification remains in their own hands. However, coach Javier Clemente knows that this means nothing less than the maximum six points from their mini tour of the former Soviet republics, followed by a further two victories back in Belgrade next month against Kazakhstan and Poland.

“I repeat that we are still masters of our own destiny. We haven’t come to Yerevan to calculate, but to take three points, as there are no more second chances. I realize we’re still lacking in a few areas, that through a lack of experience we’ve played one match superbly, another terribly, that there’ve been tactical mistakes, but we’re doing our best to raise our game for the climax,” stressed the Spaniard.

Tomorrow’s opponents should under no circumstances be taken lightly, especially given Serbia’s tendency to struggle against the supposed minnows. A year ago in Belgrade, the Armenians were comfortably dispatched 3-0, but it is the side’s home performances that have most caught the eye during the current campaign.

Finland were held to a goalless draw a ago year, and more recently they ended Poland’s six-match winning streak with a 1-0 victory, while Portugal too were lucky to escape with a share of the points after a 1-1 draw.

The Armenians will be further motivated by the fact that this week the capital, Yerevan, celebrates its 2,800th birthday.

“I think that the home team will be motivated to pull off another turn-up, having already upset Portugal, Poland and Finland… Teams like that can cause us problems, but I reckon we’ll open them up early doors, and finish off the job,” says defender Igor Duljaj who should win his 49th cap tomorrow.

In team news, Nikola Žigić should return to the starting line-up having fully recovered from the injury that restricted him to the subs’ bench in Lisbon. He is likely to play on his own up front, while Hertha Berlin striker Marko Pantelić, who in spite of some good performances has yet to break his goalscoring duck in the current campaign, is likely to be a substitute.

Tomorrow’s match kicks off at 5 p.m. at the Republic Stadium, while elsewhere in Group A, Azerbaijan take on Portugal, Poland play host to Kazakhstan, while in Brussels, Belgium welcome Finland, the group's surprise package.