Serbia 2-3 Switzerland: Swiss roll on to knockouts via first half thriller
Switzerland qualified for the last 16 in frenetic fashion as they beat Serbia 3-2 – a scoreline that flattened the losing side.
Goals from Aleksandar Mitrovic and Dusan Vlahovic in the first half were cancelled out by Breel Embolo and Xherdan Shaqiri before Remo Freuler sealed the deal after half-time.
The opening 45 minutes were a blur of chaos confusion.
Serbia’s Andrija Zivkovic frequently hustled and bustled down Swtizerland’s left side, intent on cutting onto his left foot and creating chances for others as well as himself.
With Mitrović and Vlahovic displaying little-to-no interest in moving around much to assist their team he was occasionally forced to fend for himself. Having given up on crosses he almost put his side ahead with a fizzing 30 yard effort that rattled the post after quarter of an hour.
Just as Serbia seemed to be turning the screw, Switzerland put themselves ahead.
Embolo’s intelligent movement through the lines had been Switzerland’s best outlet up to this point and his movement allowed Ricardo Rodriguez to find space on the left and pick out Djibril Sow.
Sow saw Shaqiri unmarked to his right and the stocky winger hit a deflected effort past Milinkovic-Savic via a deflection on 20 minutes.
Six minutes later the game turned again as Dusan Tadic picked out the formerly static Mitrovic after a turnover in possession and the Fulham man ghosted in behind Swiss lines before planting a header inside the far post.
Vlahovic then found himself carving behind the Swiss defence with a smart run as he too received a well judged pass from Tadic. The Juventus man rolled the ball into the far post with a wonderful finish – equally impetuous and refined.
It was the kind of finesse that once saw many a Premier League club trying to line his agent’s pockets.
This, on 36 minutes, would not be the final action of the half.
Embolo, industrious and awkward all night, found himself in acres of space at the back post and Silvan Widmer was able to pick him out after more smart buildup play from Sow.
Finally half-time eventually arrived.
Shortly after the break, however, Switzerland winded the crowd again as a beautifully worked team goal was finished off by Remo Freuler on 48 minutes.
Shaqiri clipped the ball over the Serbia defence and found Ruben Vargas who had scorched off his left wing – he had no time to think but instinctively laid the ball inside to Freuler who struck with aplomb and sealed Switzerland’s place in the last 16.
Switzerland then killed the game off, stifling and frustrating Serbia for the rest of the half. This resulted in a minor and needless fracas after Serbia apparently took exception to something Granit Xhaka may or may not have said or done.
Had they added another goal to their tally they would have topped the group by virtue of goals scored but the Swiss roll on to the knockout stages with Portugal their next opponents.
