World European Preliminary - Faroe Islands VS Montenegro: Montenegro is in a trough, and the new young coach is under great pressure

As a member of the former Yugoslavia, Montenegro is the only country that has not been shortlisted for the main competition.

In the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Europe, Montenegro is in the same group as Croatia, the Czech Republic, the Faroe Islands, and Gibraltar. Obviously, with its strength, there is little hope of competing for second place in the group and qualifying for the play-offs.

In the first two rounds of the group stage, Montenegro defeated Gibraltar and the Faroe Islands at home and seemed to see hope. However, in the next two games with the Czech Republic and the away game with Croatia, Montenegro suffered disastrous defeats, conceding 0 goals and 8 goals in the three games.

In Group L, Croatia leads the group with 12 points with 4 consecutive wins in the beginning, the Czech Republic has 12 points with 4 wins and 1 loss in 5 games, and ranks second with a goal difference disadvantage. The Faroe Islands ranks second with 6 points and 2 wins and 3 losses in 5 games. Montenegro also has 6 points with 2 wins and 3 losses in 5 games, ranking fourth due to a goal difference disadvantage. Gibraltar has lost 5 games in a row and is at the bottom with 0 points.

The 41-year-old former Montenegro international and Serie A star Vucinic has become the new coach of the Montenegro national team. Can he lead the team out of decline?

Faroe Islands VS Montenegro

Nature of the match: Round 7 of Group L of the World Cup European Group Stage

Match time: October 10, 2:45

Currently, the two teams have 6 points, ranking third and fourth in the group. There is a 6-point gap with the leaders Croatia and the Czech Republic, and the qualifying situation is not optimistic. For both sides, this is a crucial battle involving dignity and points.

The Faroe Islands have shown some improvement recently. They defeated Gibraltar 1:0 in the last World Cup preliminaries, injecting confidence into the team. Their advantage lies in home defense. They have conceded less than 1 goal in 3 of the past 5 home games. They have achieved 1 win and 1 loss in two home games this season, and only lost 0:1 to their archrival Croatia.

Montenegro has fallen into a trough recently, suffering three consecutive defeats in official matches without scoring a single goal, which directly led to the change of coach. This campaign will be the coaching debut of new coach and former Serie A star Vucinic, and the team will definitely hope to open a new chapter with a victory.

Tactical style: It is expected that Montenegro will adopt a 4-2-3-1 control style of play, rely on the technical advantages of the midfield to organize penetration, and focus on a three-dimensional attack that combines the sides and center.

Key players: The performance of forward Mugosa (height 188cm, outstanding heading ability) is crucial. At the same time, the team also relied on winger Marusic's breakthrough crosses to break through the dense defense.

Main hidden dangers: The away performance is a disaster, with only 1 win, 1 draw and 8 losses in the past 10 away games. The offensive end is also weak, scoring only 8 goals in the past 10 games and failing to score in 6 games.

Injury situation: The Faroe Islands lineup is relatively complete, with no important players absent. Montenegro suffered a serious injury wave. The main fullback Marusic, the main central defender Vujadzic and the main midfielder Ronchar were all absent due to injuries. This was a huge blow to the team's defense and midfield control.

The Faroe Islands have home court advantage and a solid defensive system, but weak offense is its main shortcoming. Although Montenegro has superior overall strength, its away game is weak, its offensive state is sluggish and its injuries are serious, which cast a shadow on the new coach's debut.

In this battle, it is more likely that Montenegro will win a small victory or the two sides will draw.