Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Michael Jones

World Cup 2018 - LIVE: Latest news, highlights, reaction from Brazil vs Costa Rica plus updates from Serbia vs Switzerland

Serbia will be hoping to seal their qualification for the World Cup knockout stage with a victory against Switzerland in Kaliningrad.

Mladen Krstajic’s men were unlucky not to beat Costa Rica more convincingly in their first match, and they may have to be more ruthless when they face a stubborn Swiss side that successfully stifled tournament favourites Brazil to earn a 1-1 draw.

Switzerland’s defence is their biggest strength, and they will have identified Lazio playmaker Sergej Milinkovic-Savic as a key threat to their hopes of victory.

Follow all the live action below...


Live Updates

Read more...
Swiss pleased.
FULL TIME - SERBIA 1 SWITZERLAND 2:
90 mins: Meanwhile, there will be four minutes of stoppage time for Serbia to try to rescue something from this contest.
GOAL!
90 mins: GOAL! SERBIA 1 SWITZERLAND 2:
 
Xherdan Shaqiri wins it for Switzerland with just 20 seconds remaining! The game had become so stretched, had bounced from one area to another, that all it needed was one mistake or one moment of brilliance to win. In the end, it took both. As the Swiss moved the ball forward, Dusko Tosic uncharacteristically stepped out of position to leave Shaqiri a free run at goal. There was still much for the Stoke man to do, but he seamlessly brought the ball under his control to move into the box before sliding his shot underneath Vladimir Stojkovic. 
 
 
 
YELLOW CARD
87 mins: Mitrovic is booked because he can't help himself some times. He's understandably aggrieved after a free-kick is given against him for jostling with a defender when he received no such reward for being taken out by two Swiss assassins earlier in the half.
86 mins: Matic escapes a second booking after bundling over Shaqiri despite his best intentions to avoid the diminutive forward. A less responsible referee would have been reaching for another yellow card there. The free-kick gives Rodriguez the chance to strike at goal, but the left-back's shot clatters into the wall and behind for a corner that comes to nothing.
84 mins: It's Switzerland finishing on top. This time Gavranovic holds his run as fellow substitute Embolo headed down on the edge of the area, but the striker shot straight at Stojkovic.
80 mins: Into the final ten, and there are a lot of tired bodies out there which isn't ideal when both countries are likely to have a crucial final game in Group E. Serbia introduce Nemanja Radonjic as Crystal Palace's Luka Milivojevic makes way.
74 mins: Back come Switzerland, and Mario Gavranovic has a glorious chance as he goes through on goal, only to thump into the side-netting. Nevertheless, the offside flag was rightly raised against the substitute on the near side.
73 mins: The Serbs have started to grab a foothold in this contest once again and that sparks Vladimir Petkovic into another substitution. Off goes Blerim Dzemaili and on in his place is Breel Embolo.
67 mins: Is Aleksandar Mitrovic twice as good as Harry Kane? The Swiss defenders seems to think so because that's how many it takes to wrestle the striker to floor as a cross is lofted into his direction inside the area. The Serbian makes his point of view clear to Felix Brych but, like Kane before him, is not going to see the referee consult VAR despite their being a clear case for a penalty.
64 mins: Filip Kostic is cutting a frustrated figure on the Serbian left. The Hamburg man is incensed as a throw-in goes against him despite the last touch coming off a Swiss player, and now it gets worse. Mladen Krstajic has seen enough and decided it's time to replace the winger with Fiorentina's Adem Ljajic.
Give him the keys to the house.
58 mins: Shaqiri goes so close to turning this game right around! So often on the periphery, so often a hindrance to his teammates, the Swiss forward is capable of brilliance and nearly provided some there. In truth, the forward got lucky when the loose ball from a tackle ricocheted back into his path, but Shaqiri's curling shot from an absurd angle and distance had Stojkovic beaten all ends up. Thankfully for Serbia, the ball clipped the outside of the post and fell behind for a goalkick.
GOAL!
52 mins: GOAL! SERBIA 1 SWITZERLAND 1:
 
A thunderbolt from Granit Xhaka! The game had been really open since the restart, a second goal seemed imminent but nobody was expecting it to come from the left foot of the Arsenal midfielder. After Mitrovic had gone close at one end, the Swiss poured down the left from where a crossfield pass found Xherdan Shaqiri just inside the penalty area. His curling shot was blocked by the dive of Aleksandar Kolarov, only for the loose ball to sit up perfectly in the path of Xhaka 25 yards from goal. Struck first time and true, his effort curled away from a static Vladimir Stojkovic and into the far right corner. We're all square in Kaliningrad!
 
 
 
SECOND HALF KICK-OFF: A goal to the good, Serbia get the second period going in Kaliningrad. Switzerland striker, Haris Seferovic, barely got a kick in the first half and has been replaced at the break by Mario Gavranovic. A half-switch paid dividends for Nigeria earlier today, the Swiss will be hoping for similar improvements.
One of Aleksandar Mitrovic's forward partners at Fulham last season has noted the striker's worth to Serbia at this World Cup.
Let's hope the two are together again at the Cottage next season.

Please allow a moment for the blog to load

What time is it?

Serbia vs Switzerland kicks off at 7pm.

Where can I watch it?

The game will be shown live on BBC One. It will also be shown on the BBC website.

Odds

Serbia: 9/5

Switzerland: 47/23

Draw: 20/9

Prediction

 

Serbia 1-0 Switzerland: Neither of these teams are full of goals but Serbia’s greater creativity in attack should provide the breakthrough they need at some stage.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.