Milan Bisevac expects Scotland to bully their way through qualifier

The Scots and the former Yugoslav state will meet in Glasgow as the 2014 World Cup campaign kicks off on Saturday.

Lyon defender Bisevac has become the latest in a long line of Serbian players convinced that Craig Levein’s men will bully their way through the game, in what he expects to be a bruising encounter.

He said: “It all depends on our game. It will not be easy for us in Scotland as we expect our opponents to be aggressive and desperate to claim a victory. But it’s very important for us to have a good start and winning at Hampden will give us more optimism for the future. The defensive unit and our organisation is the base of our team.

“It will be good to continue that attitude because we were good with Nemanja Vidic and we don’t want that to change now that he has left the squad.

“For us, the first match in the qualifying campaign is the most important.”

But the 29-year-old former Red Star Belgrade player reckons another team in Group A looks certain to be their main danger in the battle to get to Brazil. He stressed: “Belgium has a good team, very, very strong. Their players are involved with all of the best clubs in Europe. Also, Croatia have been near the top of European football for the past few years, but we need to believe in our game and our quality.”

Meanwhile, Dynamo Kiev’s Milos Ninkovic believes Serbia’s Euro 2012 qualifying campaign can help them stun the Scots.

The 27-year-old midfielder played against Northern Ireland in Serbia’s unsuccessful attempts to get to Poland and Ukraine this summer.

And he says that could be the ideal preparation before facing Scotland.

Ninkovic said: “Our experience against Northern Ireland in the last qualification is good for us, but it doesn’t mean we get a result automatically at Hampden.

“We can expect nothing and will have to work for what we get. We need to play our game in our way and not allow Scotland to dictate the game. If we stand back from their way of football, it won’t be good.

“Therefore, we need to keep the ball and keep possession. That will control the match and frustrate Scotland.”

Ninkovic also insists Belgium will be the group’s dark horses and Kiev team-mate and former Spurs and Croatia ace, Nico Kranjcar, agrees.

He said: “Nico Kranjcar, my old friend from Dynamo, has spoken with me a lot and we have agreed that this group is the most complex and difficult in all of the qualification sections, as the teams are all of a good standard.

“Myself and Nico think Belgium will be toughest tests for our respective teams.”