Maksimovic and Vlahovic Propel Serbia to Victory Over Austria, Securing Their Place in Nations League A

Serbia triumphed over Austria with a 2-0 victory at Stadion Rajko Mitic, securing their status in UEFA Nations League (UNL) League A with a 3-1 aggregate outcome, and extending their unbeaten streak at home in this competition to six matches.

The tie was perfectly balanced following a 1-1 draw in Vienna on Thursday, making it difficult to predict a winner, with both teams boasting impressive recent performances in the UNL.

Due to a UEFA sanction, Serbia played in front of a reduced home crowd, which seemed to hinder the Eagles’ performance in the first half as Austria dominated play and appeared more likely to score first.

The visitors nearly took the lead within the opening six minutes when Konrad Laimer found the back of the net from inside the box, only for the goal to be ruled out as he was deemed offside when he received the pass.

Serbia began to assert themselves, with Dusan Vlahovic’s left-footed strike from 25 yards narrowly missing the post. However, Austria continued to threaten, and shortly after, goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic had to intervene to deny Romano Schmid’s attempt from close to the byline, keeping the score level at half-time.

Having struggled to create genuine chances, Serbia received a fortunate break, allowing them to take the lead with their first shot on target.

A misjudged pass from Nicolas Seiwald to goalkeeper Alexander Schlager resulted in the ball rebounding off the post, and Nemanja Maksimovic was quickest to react, slotting the ball home to give Serbia the lead in a rather comedic fashion.

This goal seemingly boosted the hosts’ confidence, and a through ball set up substitute Luka Jovic, but Schlager was quick off his line to intercept the danger before the striker could get a touch.

Austria’s challenge to get back into the game became even more daunting when Gernot Trauner received a straight red card for a cynical foul while being the last man, just over 20 minutes from time.

Having previously had a goal ruled out for offside, Vlahovic found his moment in the first minute of added time, breaking into the area and finishing low into the corner to seal the win. This result guarantees Serbia’s place in League A for the upcoming 2026/27 cycle while Austria will remain in League B.