Team spirit is key for Petrovic

By Mark Bennett in Oberhausen

Serbia and Montenegro coach Vladimir Petrovic has singled out Aleksandr Gleb as the major threat that needs to taken care of when his side faces Belarus in the UEFA European Under-21 Championship on Tuesday.

Nothing certain
All four teams in Group A still have a chance of qualifying although Serbia and Montenegro are certain to progress if they defeat Belarus, who themselves only need a draw. But inflicting a first championship defeat on the Belarussians is not something Petrovic is taking for granted.

Team approach
"I don't feel that we are the favourites," the Serbo-Montenegrin coach said. "Belarus have an extremely talented group of players and will only have a chance of beating them if we play together as a team. They fight until they drop and that is exactly the way we will have to play."

'Dangerous player'
After watching videos of Belarus, Petrovic has vowed to have Gleb marked in midfield. "He is a very dangerous player and somebody will look after him," he said. Midfield player Goran Lovre added: "Gleb is perhaps the best player in this tournament and we will have to keep a very close eye on him."

Protection required
Belarus coach Yuri Puntus seemed unconcerned whether or not his VfB Stuttgart playmaker is marked or left free to roam, but he is worried about the approach his side's opponents might take. "I definitely won't tell anybody how to stop this outstanding player," Puntus said. "All I can hope is that the referee protects him if the challenges are illegal."

'Slight advantage'
Despite knowing a point in Oberhausen would suffice, Puntus would prefer a victory. He added: "Not having to win is a slight advantage, but I can assure you that we are not going to play for a draw. We want to win this match and then we can see what happens next."

'Fresh enough'
After shuffling his pack before Saturday's 1-1 draw with Croatia, the Belarussian coach is adamant that his players will have enough energy to come out on top in Oberhausen. "We always knew that the third and final match would be decisive for us," he explained. "That is why I made so many changes in the match against Croatia. I am sure that my players are fresh enough to win."