WORLD CUP: European Qualifying preview and squads – Group A

Europe

GroupA

After just four games it is already looking to be a two-horse race to top Group A.  Belgium and Croatia head the table with ten points each with Serbia and Macedonia also joint third on four points.  Unlikely qualifiers, Wales and Scotland make up the numbers on 3 and 2 points respectively.  Look for the Croats and the Belgians to pull away even further this Friday evening with wins over Serbia and Macedonia.

Croatia v Serbia, Friday 17:00 

CROATIA – Goalkeepers: Stipe Pletikosa (FK Rostov), Daniel Subasic (Monaco), Dario Kresic (Lokomotiv Moscow)

Defenders: Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk), Josip Simunic (Dinamo Zagreb), Vedran Corluka (Lokomotiv Moscow), Ivan Strinic (Dnipro), Gordon Schildenfeld (PAOK), Dejan Lovren (Lyon), Domagoj Vida (Dynamo Kiev)

Midfielders: Niko Kranjcar (Dynamo Kiev), Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Ivan Rakitic (Sevilla), Ognhen Vukojevic (Spartak Moscow), Milan Badelj (Hamburg), Sammir (Dinamo Zagreb), Josip Radosevic (Napoli), Arijan Ademi (Dinamo Zagreb), Mateo Kovacic (Inter Milan)

Strikers: Ivan Olic (Wolfsburg), Eduardo (Shakhtar Donestk), Mladen Petric  (Fulham), Mario Mandzukic (Bayern Munich), Nikica Jelavic (Everton), Nikola Kalinic (Dnipro)

Withdrawn: Ivan Perisic (Wolfsburg)

 

SERBIA – Goalkeepers: Vladimir Stojkovic (Partizan), Zeljko Brkic (Udinese), Branimir Aleksic (Spartak Zlatibor Voda)

Defenders: Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea), Aleksandr Kolarov (Manchester City), Neven Subotic (Borussia Dortmund), Antonio Rukavina (Real Valladolid), Milan Bisevac (Lyon), Slobodan Rajkovic (Hamburg), Nenad Tomovic (Fiorentina), Matija Nastasic (Manchester City), Dusan Basta (Udinese)

Midfielders: Zoran Tosic (CSKA Moscow), Zdravko Kuzmanovic (Inter Milan), Radoslav Petrovic (Genclerbirligi), Aleksandr Ignjovski (Werder Bremen), Ljubomir Fejsa (Olympiacos), Filip Djuricic (Heereenveen), Ivan Radovanovic (Atalanta), Luka Milivojevic (Red Star Belgrade), Nenad Krsticic (Sampdoria), Alen Stevanovic (Torino)

Strikers: Filip Djordevic (Nantes), Marko Scepovic (Partizan), Nikola Djurdic (Greuther Furth)

 

Macedonia v Belgium, Friday 19:45

 

MACEDONIA – Goalkeepers: Tome Pachovski (Mechelen), Martin Bogatinov (Karpaty), Kristijan Naumovski (Dinamo Bucharest)

Defenders: Nikolche Noveski (Mainz), Boban Grncharov (Botev Plovdiv), Vanche Shikov (Volyn), Daniel Mojsov (Tavrya), Aleksandar Todorovski (Polonia Warsaw), Stefan Ristovski (Bari), Aleksandar Lazevski (Partizan), Daniel Georgievski (Dinamo Bucharest)

Midfielders: Muhamed Demiri (FC Thun), Darko Tasevski (Ironi Kiryat Shmona), Nikola Gligorov (Alki), Ostoja Stjepanovikj (Vardar), Dejan Blazhevski (Turnovo), Ferhan Hasani (Wolfsburg)

Strikers: Goran Pandev (Napoli), Ivan Trichkovski (Club Brugge), Agim Ibraimi (Maribor), Mirko Ivanovski (Astra Ploieşti), Aleksandar Trajkovski (Zulte Waregem) Adis Jahovikj (FC Zürich)

BELGIUM – Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois (Atlético Madrid), Jean-François Gillet (Torino), Simon Mignolet (Sunderland)

Defenders: Toby Alderweireld (Ajax), Laurent Ciman (Standard Liege), Guillaume Gillet (Anderlecht), Vincent Kompany (Manchester City), Nicolas Lombaerts (Zenit), Sébastien Pocognoli (Hannover 96), Daniel Van Buyten (Bayern Munich), Thomas Vermaelen (Arsenal), Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham Hotspur)

Midfielders: Nacer Chadli (FC Twente), Steven Defour (FC Porto), Moussa Dembélé (Tottenham Hotspur), Marouane Fellaini (Everton), Timmy Simons (Nürnberg), Axel Witsel (Zenit), Kevin De Bruyne (Werder Bremen) Eden Hazard (Chelsea)

Strikers: Christian Benteke (Aston Villa), Romelu Lukaku (West Bromwich Albion), Dries Mertens (PSV Eindhoven), Kevin Mirallas (Everton), Jelle Vossen (Genk)

 

Scotland v Wales, Friday 20:00

 

SCOTLAND – Goalkeepers: Matt Gilks (Blackpool), David Marshall (Cardiff City), Allan McGregor (Rangers)

Defenders: Christophe Berra (Wolves), Gary Caldwell (Wigan Athletic), Danny Fox (Southampton), Grant Hanley (Blackburn Rovers), Alan Hutton (Real Mallorca), Russell Martin (Norwich City), Charlie Mulgrew (Celtic), Andy Webster (Hearts), Steven Whittaker (Norwich City)

Midfielders: Charlie Adam (Stoke City), Liam Bridcutt (Brighton), Chris Burke (Cardiff City), Kris Commons (Celtic), Graham Dorrans (West Bromwich Albion), Gary Mackay-Steven (Dundee United), James McArthur (Wigan Athletic), Robert Snodgrass (Norwich City), Barry Bannan (Aston Villa)

Forwards: George Boyd (Hull City), Steven Fletcher (Sunderland), Ross McCormack (Leeds United), Shaun Maloney (Wigan Athletic), Kenny Miller (Vancouver Whitecaps), Steven Naismith (Everton), Jordan Rhodes (Blackburn Rovers)

Withdrawn: James Forrest (Celtic), James Morrison (West Bromwich Albion)

 

WALES – Goalkeepers: Glyn Myhill (West Bromwich Albion), Lewis Price (Crystal Palace),Owain Fôn Williams (Tranmere Rovers)

Defenders: Ben Davies (Swansea City), James Collins (West Ham United), Chris Gunter (Reading), Joel Lynch (Huddersfield Town), Ashley Richards (Crystal Palace), Sam Ricketts (Bolton Wanderers), Ashley Williams (Swansea City), Lewin Nyatanga (Bristol City)

Midfielders: Jack Collison (West Ham United), Andy King (Leicester City), Joe Ledley (Celtic), Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal), Jonathan Williams (Crystal Palace) Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur)

Strikers: Craig Bellamy (Cardiff City), Simon Church (Reading), Hal Robson-Kanu (Reading) Sam Vokes (Burnley), Jermaine Easter (Millwall)

Withdrawn: Joe Allen (Liverpool), Steve Morison (Leeds United), David Vaughan (Sunderland)

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