Portugal v Serbia background

All the statistics suggest that there should be very little to separate Portugal and Serbia when the sides meet in UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying Group I.

Previous meetings
• Portugal and Serbia have met twice since the break-up of Yugoslavia: a pair of 1-1 draws in UEFA EURO 2008 qualifying.

• Portugal's four encounters with Yugoslavia were similarly close – W2 D0 L2, in addition to a match at the 1928 Olympic Games, which Portugal edged 2-1.

• To date, both sides have scored in all six senior contests between Portugal and Yugoslavia/Serbia.

Form guide
• All three of Portugal's Group I games thus far have ended 1-0 (W2 L1); their 1-0 home loss to Albania in their opening fixture is their only defeat in their last 18 competitive matches on home soil (W12 D5 L1).

• Serbia have won only one of their last seven competitive away games – a 3-0 success in Wales in 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying.

Trivia and links
• Serbia defender Matija Nastasić turns 22 on the eve of the Portugal fixture.

• Serbia have had the better of the countries' four matches in UEFA age-group competitions: W2 D2 L0.

• The 22 meetings between clubs from the two nations in UEFA competition have left both with identical records – W8 D6 L8 – though the Portuguese side has won the four most recent encounters.