Last updated on .From the section Football
Aleksandar Mitrovic scored a hat-trick as Serbia thrashed Sweden 4-1 in Belgrade in the Nations League.
Fulham striker Mitrovic, 28, scored Serbia’s first three goals before Sasa Lukic added a fourth midway through the second half.
Serbia moved level on points with Norway at the top of Group B4, but are below them on head-to-head record.
The two sides meet on Tuesday in a fixture that will decide which team gains promotion to the A league.
Mitrovic has now scored 49 goals in 75 appearances for his national side, taking his season tally to nine in eight games in all competitions.
Viktor Claesson had given Sweden the lead after 15 minutes but it was short-lived as Mitrovic grabbed his first of the night three minutes later.
A header on the stroke of half-time put the home side in control and when the striker scored his third three minutes after the break the result was all but secured, with Torino midfielder Lukic scoring a fourth for good measure.
Serbia need to beat Norway to gain promotion, while a draw or a win for Erling Haaland’s team will see them progress after the Norwegians won the first encounter between the two sides.
Sweden dropped to the bottom of the group after Slovenia had earlier beaten Norway and will be relegated if they do not win their final game against the Slovenes.
Line-ups
Serbia
Formation 3-5-2
- 23Milinkovic-Savic
- 6Masovic
- 13Mitrovic
- 4Babic
- 14ZivkovicBooked at 24minsSubstituted forLazovicat 45′minutes
- 10TadicSubstituted forMitrovicat 84′minutes
- 16Lukic
- 20Milinkovic-SavicBooked at 67mins
- 17KosticSubstituted forIlicat 84′minutes
- 18VlahovicSubstituted forJovicat 90′minutes
- 9MitrovicSubstituted forRacicat 72′minutesBooked at 90mins
Substitutes
- 1Dmitrovic
- 2Pavlovic
- 3Mladenovic
- 5Erakovic
- 7Radonjic
- 8Racic
- 11Jovic
- 12Ilic
- 15Mitrovic
- 19Ilic
- 21Djuricic
- 22Lazovic
Sweden
Formation 3-4-3
- 1Olsen
- 15Sundgren
- 4HienBooked at 8mins
- 3Lindelöf
- 7ClaessonSubstituted forElangaat 64′minutes
- 19Svanberg
- 8CajusteSubstituted forOlssonat 45′minutes
- 6Augustinsson
- 21KulusevskiSubstituted forIshakat 84′minutes
- 16GyökeresSubstituted forQuaisonat 64′minutes
- 10ForsbergSubstituted forKarlströmat 73′minutes
Substitutes
- 2Andersson
- 5Gudmundsson
- 9Wålemark
- 11Elanga
- 12Linde
- 13Ousou
- 14Kurtulus
- 17Karlström
- 18Ishak
- 20Olsson
- 22Quaison
- 23Nordfeldt
- Referee:
- Georgi Kabakov
- Attendance:
- 14,122
Live Text
Match ends, Serbia 4, Sweden 1.
Second Half ends, Serbia 4, Sweden 1.
Uros Racic (Serbia) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Uros Racic (Serbia).
Mikael Ishak (Sweden) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Luka Jovic (Serbia).
Daniel Sundgren (Sweden) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Victor Lindelöf (Sweden) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Anthony Elanga.
Substitution, Serbia. Luka Jovic replaces Dusan Vlahovic.
Foul by Ivan Ilic (Serbia).
Ludwig Augustinsson (Sweden) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Mikael Ishak (Sweden) right footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Robin Quaison.
Substitution, Serbia. Ivan Ilic replaces Filip Kostic.
Substitution, Sweden. Mikael Ishak replaces Dejan Kulusevski.
Substitution, Serbia. Stefan Mitrovic replaces Dusan Tadic.
Attempt saved. Anthony Elanga (Sweden) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Jesper Karlström.
Dusan Vlahovic (Serbia) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Jesper Karlström (Sweden).
Foul by Dusan Tadic (Serbia).
Kristoffer Olsson (Sweden) wins a free kick in the defensive half.