Five wins, five draws, zero defeats - in the past 15 years, the Montenegrin football team has never lost at the start of a competitive cycle, whether it is qualification for the World Cup, qualification for the European Championship or UEFA's youngest competition, the League of Nations. And there were 10 such starts - a respectable number, a respectable performance.
This data, admittedly, sounds a bit unreal for a selection that never managed to get hold of a major competition. The Falcons usually fell as the contests heated up, and the end of almost every cycle was not nearly as bright as the beginning.
Next week, on Friday, March 24, in Razgrad, Miodrag Radulović's selection will play against Bulgaria at the opening of the new cycle of qualifications for the European Championship. Considering the already proclaimed desire, or even the goal - for Montenegro to get one of the first two places in competition with Serbia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Lithuania and reach the finals for the first time, the start is significant, crucial.
66,7 percent is the success rate of the Montenegrin national team in the first matches of the competition cycle - qualification for the World Cup, European Championship and League of Nations. In 10 games, the "falcons" won 30 points out of a possible 20, achieved five wins and five draws, and did not experience a defeat.
It sounds a bit harsh, but it's true - the duel at the "Huvefarma Arena" has practically an elimination character. Not for Montenegro to qualify, but for it to remain in the race to go to the Euro. Because, if even good beginnings were no guarantee of placement in a major competition, then what to expect in case of failure?
Anyway, the 10 starts so far are something from which Stevan Jovetić, Stefan Savić and company can draw optimism in what is probably the last chance of the generation to make it to the big competition.
Interestingly, Montenegro played Romania three times at the start, now they will meet Bulgaria for the third time. It all started in September 2008.
MONTENEGRO - BULGARIA 2:2 (SEPTEMBER 2008)
The first, historic competitive match of the Montenegrin national team, in the qualifiers for the World Cup in South Africa 2010. The draw under Gorica had a bitter taste, because the Bulgarians reached a point in stoppage time, with a player down - 2:2, with a goal by Blagoj Georgijev from a free kick. Previously, the visitors took the lead through Stijan Petrov, and the "falcons" reversed with goals from Mirko Vučinić from a free kick and Jovetić from a penalty. This draw slowed down Zoran Filipović's team, which made its debut on the big stage, so much that the first and only victory in that cycle came only in the penultimate round, against Georgia (2:1), with a goal by Andrija Delibašić.
MONTENEGRO - WALES 1:0 (SEPTEMBER 2010)
The start of the qualification for the 2012 European Championship in Ukraine and Poland, the competitive debut of Zlatko Kranjčar on the bench and the beginning of the big series - a minimal victory against Wales by Gareth Bale and Craig Bellamy under Gorica, thanks to a miniature Mirko Vučinić at the end of the first half.
Montenegro then beat Bulgaria in Sofia, then Switzerland in Gorica, all 1:0, took a point at Wembley, and even the fall in the second half and Kranjčar's dismissal did not stop the "falcons" from going to the playoffs, the only one so far, in which they are better. was the Czech Republic.
MONTENEGRO - POLAND 2:2 (SEPTEMBER 2012)
Branko Brnović remained on the bench, and Montenegro opened the World Cup qualifiers with a match against Poland. The fireworks duel under Gorica, marked by the throwing of various objects into the field, ended 2:2 - the guests took the lead at the start with a goal by Blaščikovsky from the penalty spot, which was won by Levandovski, the "falcons" turned it around before halftime with goals from Nikola Drinčić and Vučinić, but the Poles equalized at 2:2. In the finish, Jovetić missed a great chance for victory.
And such a draw was a good starting point, but Montenegro faltered in the second half, after losing to Ukraine at home 4:0.
MONTENEGRO - MOLDOVA 2:0 (SEPTEMBER 2014)
Mirko Vučinić and Žarko Tomašević brought triumph against the Moldovans, but the cycle for the European Championship in France 2016 was "ruined" already in the second round, with a goalless draw in Liechtenstein. Too soon, Montenegro lost its real chances to stay in the race in competition with Russia, Sweden and Austria, and Brnović completed his last cycle in his four-year mandate.
ROMANIA - MONTENEGRO 1:1 (SEPTEMBER 2016)
A lucky draw on Ljubiša Tumbaković's debut in the World Cup cycle in Russia 2018, where Montenegro was in competition for a place in the World Cup until the end. Jovetić equalized in Cluj five minutes before the end, and then the Romanians missed a penalty deep in stoppage time. Then came the victory in Denmark - probably the biggest away victory in the history of the Montenegrin national team. However, the defeat in Armenia after the 2:0 lead slowed things down, and the defeat against the Danes under Gorica buried all hopes.
ROMANIA - MONTENEGRO 0:0 (SEPTEMBER 2018)
The first edition of the UEFA Nations League, a solid performance in Ploešti, and a new draw with the Romanians, 0:0. Tumbaković's selection beat Lithuania twice, but lost both times to Serbia and Romania under Gorica - for 3rd place out of four teams.
BULGARIA - MONTENEGRO 1:1 (MARCH 2019)
The second "bitter" draw with Bulgaria at the start of the qualifiers for Euro 2020, although the draw in Sofia cannot be treated as a bad result. Namely, the home team equalized in the finish from a non-existent penalty, awarded due to a foul committed a meter outside the penalty area. The "Falcons" previously led with a goal by Stefan Mugoša, and had great chances to score a second goal. Then came the defeat in Gorica against the English 5:1, then the events before the match with Kosovo - the departure of Tumbaković, the players Ivanić and Stojković, and the chances immediately collapsed...
CYPRUS - MONTENEGRO 0:2 (SEPTEMBER 2020)
Second League of Nations, C category, under Farku Hadžibegić and the only case of a good start - a good finish. Jovetić scored two goals to defeat the Cypriots in Nicosia, and Montenegro won first place and qualified for the B League of Nations.
LATVIA - MONTENEGRO 1:2 (MARCH 2021)
Victory on Miodrag Radulović's debut - two goals by Jovetić and a turnaround on a difficult pitch in Riga. Gibraltar was also defeated, six points after two rounds, but matches with stronger rivals arrived and Montenegro finished 4th in the group for the World Cup in Qatar, behind the Netherlands, Turkey and Norway.
MONTENEGRO - ROMANIA 2:0 (JUNE 2022)
The memories of the good start of the third edition of the League of Nations and the victory against Romania under Gorica with goals from Mugoša and Marko Vukčević are fresh. This cycle was also promising, especially after the great triumph in Bucharest, but defeats in the last two rounds against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Finland brought the "falcons" down to the ground - in 3rd place.
Bonus video:
