The Torino midfielder provided a nice assist in the second match but was missing in the third and final match like many of his teammates
Yesterday evening – Tuesday 25 June – Serbia could not go beyond a useless 0-0 against Denmark in the third and final match of the Euro 2024 groups. For the Balkan team it was a very negative result because it meant elimination from the tournament also due to the first two matches that were certainly not exciting. Ivan was often present on the field for Serbia IlicTorino midfielder, who played a two-faced European Championship, confirming once again that he is a talented but often inconsistent footballer, characteristics that had already emerged in the matches played in Serie A with the Granata. With the Eagles Vanya was also summoned Milinkovic-Savic but he never played, thus losing visibility in this continental showcase.
Ilic and a start to the European Championship on the launching pad with his Serbia
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In the first match of Euro 2024, Serbia faces England and Ilic is not fielded from the start. At half-time, however, coach Dragan Stojkovic realizes that something different is needed in the middle of the pitch and so brings on the Toro midfielder. The performance offered by the class of 2001 against the British was very good although Serbia was unable to find the equalizer. However, the former Verona player manages to show off well both in the defensive area with good markings and a goal saved and denied to Bellingham, and in the offensive phase. As evidenced by the data collected by WhoScored, Ilic was in fact the third best of his team in this European Championship for average key passes per game (1.1) behind Zivkovic and Tadic. The percentage of successful passes also rewards the Toro player because with 94.4% he is number one in his national team. This positive performance in the second half against England convinced the coach to field him again against Slovenia when, despite a less than exciting match by Serbia, his perfect assist from a corner for Jovic saved the Eagles who remain alive by virtue of the third and final match of the group.
Ilic and his teammates miss the most important match: insufficient performance against Denmark
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In the last match, played last night in Munich, however, all the negative sides of the Serbian national team and also of Ilic were felt. In fact, against Denmark the performance of the Balkan players was very negative and dull, lacking the determination and desire to win that one would have expected from a team that needed to get the three points to avoid being eliminated. Against the Danes the Granata midfielder’s match lasted until the 67th minute when he was then replaced by the Juventus player Vlahovic, deployed by coach Stojkovic to try to score that long-dreamed of goal. The European Championship of Ivan Ilic and his Serbia ends here, finishing Group C in fourth place with two points in three matches. As reported by the Serbian media MozzartSportthe Torino player had made a good impression in the first two matches but disappointed in the third like many of his teammates: “Maybe we expected too much, but we didn’t expect a game without risks. He gave the ball away on one of the Danes’ scoring chances, he positioned himself nonchalantly on a corner a few minutes later, not wanting to cover the near post”. The data of WhoScored confirm this feeling as Ilic concluded the European Championship with only two shots towards goal but they were not very dangerous (o.2 xG) and perhaps even not very useful for a team that did not score a single goal from open play in three games. The total absence of attempted dribbling by the class of 2001 in this continental event also weighs heavily, especially in a match like yesterday from inside or outside and in which he was called upon to have his say in the middle of the pitch.
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