Serbia 1-2 Switzerland
Wow! What a game and what a finish!
Xherdan Shaqiri scored a brilliant late goal to win three crucial points for Switzerland in a fantastic Group E clash against unlucky Serbia.
This was one of the best games of World Cup 2018 with two teams going for a win with energy, skill, pace and passion. And Serbia can feel very unlucky after a brilliant first half and be denied a clear penalty in the second.
Brazil’s late, late show, beating Costa Rica with two injury-time goals, put a little more pressure on Vladimir Petkovic’s Switzerland, leaving them adrift in third place before kick-off. So this result is massive World Cup 2018 news: we have a three-way battle for the top two places with Brazil and Switzerland sitting pretty.
Heavy afternoon showers at the Kaliningrad Stadium had given way to early evening sunshine, perfect conditions for the ball to zip around the pitch, and for these two impressive teams to show what they can do. The World Cup 2018 odds don’t see either of them as potential semi-finalists, but I wouldn’t rule it out.
Highlights of the game
Serbia had the perfect start.
Swiss keeper Yann Sommer had a great game in the draw with Brazil, and he was called into action in the fifth minute. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic crossed for Aleksandar Mitrovic to head powerfully, only for Sommer to clear the danger. But not long and only seconds later, he could do nothing when Dusan Tadic did well on the right to whip the perfect cross over. This time, Mitrovic headed it home.
Mitrovic, who had a fantastic second half of the domestic season to fire Fulham into the Premier League and scored six in Serbia’s qualifying campaign, is showing just what a valuable player he is in Russia too. Serbia coach Mladen Krstajic has a cutting edge with a ready supply. Serbia could soon see they could profit down the right side, and Branislav Ivanovic crossed early for Mitrovic to try a spectacular overhead kick which flew over.
Switzerland tried to find their way back into the game but with little success, Shaqiri struggling to make an impact. And it really should have been two goals up minutes before the break when the excellent Tadic whipped a dangerous cross in, but Zoran Tosic fluffed his chance of a free header and Nemanja Matic didn’t have time to react at the far post with the goal at his mercy.
Serbia Captain Fantastic Alexsandar Kolarov led his team by example as they beat Costa Rica to ease their nerves coming into this crucial match, and after 45 minutes in Kaliningrad, it was so far so good.
Mitrovic, Tadic and Milinkovic-Savic were central to most of Serbia’s good forward play and they linked up early in the second half to good effect, but the Swiss were back on level terms on 52 minutes. Shaqiri had a shot charged down and it fell to Granit Xhaka some 25 yards out, and the Arsenal man sent a thunderbolt flying into the net.
And that moment of brilliance breathed life into the Swiss, and Shaqiri almost made it two with a moment of near genius. The Stoke City winger showed great feet to jink into a position on the right corner of the box and then unleashed a curling effort which crashed back off the upright.
So close.
There was VAR controversy on 66 minutes when Mitrovic was held down by two players as he prepared to head a Tadic cross. No penalty and the referee awarded Switzerland a free-kick in a bizarre interpretation of the laws.
Swiss substitute Mario Gavranovic thought he’d missed a sitter when Shaqiri put him clean through but, thankfully for him, the offside flag went up. Then Gavranovic broke through again and, although he looked offside this time the flag stayed down. But his low shot was well saved by Vladimir Stojkovic.
And then it came. The big, big moment as that man Shaqiri broke clean through and ran forty yards with electrifying pace before sliding the ball past Stojkovic for the winner. What a breakaway and what a result!
Key statistics
This huge result means Switzerland are in great shape to qualify in Group E, and the match statistics show how well they recovered from a first-half beating. The Swiss ended up with 62 per cent possession and 20 shots to 13 in a game full of entertainment.
It was the first meeting between Serbia and Switzerland, and it certainly lived up to expectations. For so long, Serbia looked like they were moving into pole position but in the end, it was heartbreak.
The Swiss have lost only one in 24 games now…and now we know why.
What’s next?
So Group E concludes next Wednesday and there’s still all to play for, but Serbia have a tough, tough task.
They must pick themselves up to meet Brazil in Moscow. The tournament favourites haven’t looked inspiring during their first two games but were simply devastating in the final seven minutes against Costa Rica. I just wonder if the Samba Boys are clicking into gear.
Switzerland travel to the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium to play Los Ticos knowing that their destiny is in their own hands.
If those two games are half as good as this one, we’re in for a treat. Anything could happen; so watch out for the SBOBET tips!
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