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The full-time scenes at the Estadio da Luz were box-office stuff. Serbia, the supposed underdogs, stunned a shellshocked Portugal team in their own backyard.
As Cristiano Ronaldo sunk to his knees in utter disappointment after his side’s disappointing defeat, the Serbia bench went berserk. Not many teams can dominate Portugal like the Eagles did on Sunday. Despite going behind early in the game, Dragan Stojkovic’s side never gave up, and continued to press on.
Their efforts eventually paid off when captain Dusan Tadic equalised after 33 minutes. Aleksandar Mitrovic then sealed an impressive comeback with a 90th-minute winner.
Serbia book FIFA World Cup spot
Almost everyone had consigned Serbia to the playoffs before Sunday. However, this determined team made sure to rewrite the script.
They travelled to Portugal with a point to prove. and once the game began, they never looked back. Renato Sanches’ goal in the second minute was Portugal’s only bright spot on the night.
The Eagles completely dominated the game, and looked more like the home team. They ended the game with seven shots on target; the Selecao had just one shot all game.
Serbia also enjoyed 56% possession at the Estadio da Luz as their 2-1 win ensured their place at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. That was certainly the least Stojkovic’s side deserved after the performance they put up against Portugal.
Dusan Tadic mirrors resilient Serbia’s spirit
Everything Serbia represent is mirrored by their irrepressible captain Dusan Tadic. The 32-year-old has been on a different level in the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifiers.
He’s the personification of resilience and hard work, and his personality has rubbed off on the entire team. Tadic’s six assists make him the player with the most assists in the ongoing World Cup qualifiers in Europe.
The Ajax playmaker also had a hand in the two goals that sunk Portugal in Lisbon, scoring one and setting up Mitrovic’s winner.
"There are a lot of emotions at the momen,t and everyone is very happy and satisfied. Since (Stojkovic) came, I think a smile has returned, and that we are playing beautiful football, which we showed today,” Tadic said after the game, as quoted by Sportsmax.
"We showed that we can come to Portugal to dominate and win. I think that everyone who wears this coat of arms and who is a citizen of this country should be very happy and proud."
Indeed, Serbia dominated Portugal and won, and the current crop of players have no limit. The Eagles have arrived, and they won’t be pushovers in Qatar.
