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Not exactly ‘Mitro’s on fire’ but at last some signs of life in Aleksandar Mitrovic

7 years ago
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Aleksandar Mitrovic had a lift this week as he was recalled on Sunday by Serbia and scored two goals in their 3-2 win.

Having made no impact and looking unfit when Serbia faced Ireland last month, Mitrovic was subbed in that game and then left out of a 3-0 win in Moldova last week.

On top of a season at Newcastle United that has seen him play only 141 Championship minutes so far, things weren’t looking bright for our heart on his sleeve centre-forward.

However, Sunday night saw Mitrovic recalled and score two goals (header and left-foot shot) as he helped defeat Austria in the World Cup qualifier and send them top of the group.

The return to goalscoring predictably brought ‘Mitro’s on fire’ headlines but in reality it was more a case of fanning a little bit more oxygen onto the embers to get them to spark a little again.

If you haven’t seen the goals (watch them HERE) already, Mitrovic was left all alone on both occasions as the Austrian defence went missing, scoring from 15 yards in a one on one with the goalkeeper and then a free header only six yards from goal.

They do still of course have to be put away and this can only be good news for Newcastle.

With Mitrovic such an up and down confidence player, if Rafa does decide at last to give a Gayle/Mitro partnership a chance against Brentford on Saturday, then buoyed by those two goals it’s all but certain we’d get a better show from the former Anderlecht striker, rather than a recall simply because even the Newcastle Manager has seen that this Diame in behind Gayle plan is going nowhere.

With only the 6-0 win over QPR seeing Mitrovic start a Championship match this season, when he scored and played pretty well, it is all a bit bizarre why he hasn’t had more chances.

The last 107 minutes of football Aleksandar Mitrovic has played, has seen him come on and help overturn a 3-2 scoreline against Norwich – including setting up the winner, off the bench to help in seeing out the 1-0 win at Rotherham, before then scoring twice for his country in that win against Austria.

Building up this head of steam and confidence, maybe Saturday WILL at last be the game when all the fans who predict a Mitrovic place in the starting eleven, will find their predictions/hopes come true.

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