The Swiss took the lead through Xherdan Shaqiri (20′), then Serbia turned the game around through Aleksandar Mitrovic (26′) and Dusan Vlahovic (35′). The “Nati” struck back shortly before and shortly after the break by Breel Embolo (44th) and Stephan Freuler (48th) and ultimately made it through the rounds as a more mature team.
The third goal was decisive, however, as Cameroon celebrated a 1-0 win against Brazil in the finish. In a 2-2 draw against Serbia, Switzerland would have been eliminated. In the end, Brazil, who had already been promoted earlier, won Group G by six points and meet South Korea on Monday, while the Swiss (six) then take on Group H winners Portugal on Tuesday. Cameroon (four) finished third ahead of Serbs (one).
Embolo scores to make it 2-2 (44th minute)
Breel Embolo restores the tie just before half-time. After Silvan Widmer’s Stangl pass, the striker makes it 2-2.
Summer not in the Swiss goal
Switzerland boss Murat Yakin made three changes to the starting XI after the 1-0 draw with Brazil, two of them due to illness. Goalie Yann Sommer was replaced by Dortmund goalie Gregor Kobel, Fabian Schär replaced Nico Elvedi. The recently injured offensive player Xherdan Shaqiri returned to the starting XI in place of the young Fabian Rieder.
The Serbs made a change from the turbulent 3-3 win against Cameroon, Juventus legionnaire Dusan Vlahovic made his starting XI debut at this World Cup. The Serbian hopes rested on the most expensive player, whose market value is estimated at 80 million euros, as well as on the other offensive players such as Dusan Tadic, Alexander Mitrovic and the former Frankfurt player Filip Kostic.
Promising initial phase
With three points, Switzerland had the better starting position than the other two rivals (one point each). This could have been improved after around 20 seconds in the game against Serbia, but Breel Embolo failed from close range to goalie Vanja Milinkovic-Savic and Granit Xhaka in the follow-up shot (1st).
Switzerland starts the game furiously (1st minute)
After a few seconds, the Swiss come to the first huge opportunity.
It was the start of an entertaining first half with chances at both ends. The first on the Serbian side found Nikola Milenkovic, who headed just wide of the goal (5th). Only six minutes later Andrija Zivkovic tried it from a distance, the shot was well placed and slammed against the right post (11′). The Serbs presented themselves offensively more imaginative at this point.
Shaqiri opens the scoring
But the first goal went to the Swiss account: Ricardo Rodriguez came into the penalty area from the left, his cross was cleared by Salzburg defender Strahinja Pavlovic too short, Djibril Sow played on to Shaqiri, who put the ball into the short corner – again from Pavlovic slightly deflected (20th). This time, Shaqiri eschewed a double-headed eagle cheer that once caused much controversy, but put his finger to his mouth and gestured at his name.
Shaqiri presents for Switzerland (20th minute)
Xherdan Shaqiri gives Switzerland a 1-0 lead. Compared to the 2018 encounter, his goal celebration this time was without provocation.
Mitrovic equalizes worth seeing
The celebration didn’t last long, and Serbia equalized six minutes later. After winning the ball in midfield, it quickly went down the field, Tadic brought a soft cross from the left into the center, from where Fulham striker Mitrovic met the ball and completed it with a header into the far corner (26th). Manuel Akanji didn’t catch up in time and could only marvel at the goal.
Mitrovic heads the equalizer (26th minute)
The lead of the Swiss does not last long. Serbia’s Aleksandar Mitrovic put the header perfectly into the net to make it 1-1.
Serbs turn game, Embolo equalizes
It remained a varied game in which both lines of defense had their gaps and therefore many chances opened up. Shaqiri’s outside step landed in the outside netting (30′), five minutes later Serbia increased through Vlahovic. After Switzerland lost the ball again in midfield, things quickly went forward again, and in the end Vlahovic put the ball into the far right corner in the penalty area (35′).
Vlahovic makes it 2-1 (35th minute)
Serbia turns the game. After the Swiss recklessly lost the ball, Dusan Vlahovic scored the 2-1 for the Serbs.
After that, the game calmed down for a few minutes, but it wasn’t the last goal before the break. Now the Swiss launched a remarkable attack over several stations. From Shaqiri via Sow, the ball finally reached Sylvan Widmer, whose Stangl pass Embolo converted (44th). There have never been four goals at half-time in this World Cup.
Switzerland strikes back again
And even after the break it continued in this key: only three minutes had been played when the “Nati” delivered the most beautiful action of the evening. Pavlovic looked bad in the duel against Embolo, Shaqiri took over and Ruben Vargas passed his raised pass with his heel to Freuler, who converted dry to 3: 2 (48th).
Serbia could not cope with this blow to the neck. They again needed two goals for promotion, and Switzerland now presented themselves defensively more compact after the new opening goal and allowed fewer turnovers. Embolo missed the final preliminary decision from a short distance, but was probably just offside (57th). Already in this phase the possibilities diminished.
Pack formations overlay finish
But the taunts increased, after a penalty for Serbia that was rightly not given, there was almost a pack formation in the middle of the second half, at least the Serbian substitutes saw a reason to stand completely on the sidelines.
In terms of football, the second half lacked a lot, towards the end the heated duels increased in this politically charged duel, and neither team found any great chances. Serbia conceded eight goals in the group stage, with only Costa Rica conceding more (eleven). The Serbs finished last in Group G.
FIFA World Cup 2022, Group G, Third Matchday
Freitag:
Serbia – Switzerland 2:3 (2:2)
Doha, Stadium 974, 41,378 spectators, SR Rapallini (ARG)
Torfolge:
0:1 Shaqiri (20.)
1:1 A. Mitrovic (26.)
2:1 Vlahovic (35.)
2:2 Plunger (44.)
2:3 Freuler (48.)
Serbia: V. Milinkovic-Savic – Milenkovic, Veljkovic (55./Gudelj), Pavlovic – A. Zivkovic (78./Radonjic), Lukic, Kostic – S. Milinkovic-Savic (68./Maksimovic), Tadic (78./Djuricic) – Vlahovic (55./Jovic), A. Mitrovic
Switzerland: Kobel – Widmer, Schär, Akanji, Rodriguez – Sow (68th/Fernandes), Freuler, Xhaka – Shaqiri (68th/Zakaria), Embolo (96th Okafor), Vargas (83rd/Fassnacht)
Yellow cards: S. Milinkovic-Savic, Pavlovic, Rajkovic (on the bench), Gudelj, Mitrovic, Milenkovic and Widmer, Xhaka, Schär
