15. Serbia
Don’t rule out Serbia progressing from Group E with Brazil. Not when the midfield is this deep and talented.
Coach Mladen Krstajic can call on Manchester United’s Nemanja Matic to be the anchor in front of his defense. Energy and craft will be supplied by Lazio gem Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, a player whose stock is rising rapidly.
Creative magic can come from Southampton’s Dusan Tadic. The 29-year-old Saints star isn’t the most consistent but there is no denying his talent for splitting gaps in a defense.
It will be up to striker Aleksandar Mitrovic to make the most of any chances Tadic can create. A temperamental target man, Mitrovic has deceptive pace and unheralded quality as a finisher.
He’s also powerful and deft enough to link well with Tadic and Milinkovic-Savic.
Krstajic is inexperienced, but has enough match-winners at his disposal to help Serbia cause a few upsets in Russia.