World Cup Scout: Costa Rica vs Serbia - Manchester United target to live up to hype

While Costa Rica are very much a team and one perhaps greater than the sum of their modest individual parts, the opposite could perhaps be said of Serbia until recently.

The Europeans have quality, experience and competition for places across their squad, and if they can click this summer Mladen Krstajic’s side will hope to spring the sort of surprise that their opponents managed four years ago to reach the last eight.

With Premier League winners in the form of Aleksandr Kolarov, Branislav Ivanovic and Nemanja Matic and a whole host of players plying their trade in Europe’s top five leagues, Serbia could be a real dark horse. That trio should ensure that there is a strong defensive resolve that enables their more creative talents to flourish, and one of those that many are eager to cast an eye over this summer is Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.

The 23-year-old has played very little senior international football to the bewilderment of many but has proven over the past two years at Lazio that he is capable of reaching the very top. A rare blend of physical prowess and technique, the midfielder has been compared to Paul Pogba from his days at Juventus, which is some compliment.

He’s very much a player that demands the system suits his skill set like the Frenchman, but if Serbia can find the answer to getting the best from Sergej they have a player capable of firing the side deep into the tournament.

Often utilised high up the pitch at club level as a reference point to work around, not to mention a threat in the opposition box given his frame and height, the Serbian scored more goals from midfield than any other Serie A player last season (12) and has drawn interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Tipped to play slightly deeper for his national side, long term admirers Manchester United will be keen to see how fruitful his partnership with Nemanja Matic is this summer, and if the latter can hold the fort to free up his compatriot, it could be a pairing to rival any other in the middle ground this summer.

The man simply known as SMS will be aiming to send a message to the big names that are watching that he is ready to make the next step in an impressive early career.