Serbia’s Mitrovic hits 50
■■Norway 0 Serbia 2
SERBIA striker Aleksandar Mitrovic netted his 50th international goal as his side outclassed Norway to top Nations League B Group 4 and gain promotion to League A last night.
Serbia finished the campaign on 13 points from six games, three ahead of second-placed Norway, who would have won the group with a draw.
Slovenia finished third on six points, with Sweden relegated to League C on four points.
Norway’s Erling Haaland almost got the home side off to a perfect start but his first-time shot after 20 seconds was brilliantly saved by Vanja Milinkovic-Savic.
Dusan Vlahovic gave the visitors the lead in the 42nd minute when Filip Kostic pulled the ball back and the striker fired it through a thicket of legs into the net.
Doubled
Mitrovic, already Serbia’s record scorer, doubled his side’s advantage nine minutes into the second half with a precise finish from Ivan Ilic’s pass, and he almost netted a second with a header in the 76th minute.
Roared on by a packed Ullevaal Stadium, Norway did their best but lacked the guile to break down Serbia until Haaland had another chance late on, but Milinkovic-Savic thwarted him again.
The Serbs will now meet Bahrain in one final friendly before going on to face Brazil, Cameroon and Switzerland in Group G at the World Cup in Qatar, which Norway missed out on.
“We took control of the game and deserved to win. We’ve got a healthy group here who breathe as a team should,” Serbia coach Dragan Stojkovic said.
“We’re delighted to be in the top tie,” said goalscorer Vlahovic. “We are thriving under Stojkovic and his attacking style.”