The opening game jitters should all be out of the way now. As the second round of fixtures at the 2018 World Cup commence, teams now focus on positioning themselves for a berth in the knockout round. To the surprise of many, Serbia are atop Group E heading into the second match. They secured a 1-0 victory over Costa Rica, while their upcoming opponents Switzerland held Brazil to a 1-1 draw. These two European sides now meet in what could be a decisive game for both in the Group E standings.
Serbia v Switzerland
For Starters
Each of these teams got favourable results in their first match. Serbia needed three points over Costa Rica to feel good, especially with Group E favourites Brazil and Switzerland left to play. They were able to control the contest and won due to captain Aleksandar Kolorav’s beautiful curling free-kick. The Serbians also squandered a few sure chances in front of goal, something they will need to rectify as they take a step up in competition. The defensive midfield tandem of Nemanja Matic and Luka Milivojevic controlled the centre of the park. A similar performance from that pair will be key on Friday.
The Swiss were able to come back from down a goal to earn a draw with the talented Brazilians. Steven Zuber scored the equalizer, heading in a corner just after the restart. Switzerland came out of half-time the better of the two team and capitalized on their advantage. They fouled Brazil a lot in an attempt to break up the rhythm and assert their physicality. The ref allowed the Swiss to bully the game in a sense. Neymar and his talented teammates were never able to get comfortable. It is doubtful that an overly physical style will be as effective against Serbia.
Midfield Match-Up
As is almost always true, this game will be decided by whoever controls the midfield. For the Swiss, they will need to get their talisman Xherdan Shaqiri more involved. While he had the assist with a great corner, he wasn’t able to impact play more. He needs to get on the ball and run at the Serbian defenders. The Stoke City man will face a back line that is mostly well experienced, but he can use his pace against them.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic became a star this season for Lazio. The youngster continued to shine in his World Cup debut. He could be on his way to a big club move this summer, especially if he stars in Russia. He brings a creativity that Serbia is not always known for. Southhampton’s Dusan Tadic combined well with him in their opener. They will look to create the chances, while striker Aleksandar Mitrovic will need to be much better at finishing them off in this match.
Atop Group E
If this European match-up ends with a winner, that team top the Group E standings. Serbia can secure their place in the knockout round with three points. The Swiss will be all but there with a victory. Each of these teams relied on a set piece to get their opening round goals. This should be a physical affair, which will add to the free kick chances for both. Whichever team can find a bit of individual magic may just be able to escape Kaliningrad with a valuable three points.
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