The one thing Serbia couldn’t afford against Switzerland was to lose. Yet, here we are. Two second-half goals by Xhaka and Shaqiri turned the score around and put The Eagles in the inconvenient position of having to chase victory against none other than Brazil. Their meeting will take place in Spartak Moscow’s Otkritie Arena at 20:00 on Wednesday.
It took 91 minutes for Brazil to finally break Costa Rica’s defense. La Seleccao’s situation would’ve been a lot more complicated if that hadn’t occured. A draw would’ve required a win against the Serbians to progress. This way, all they need is a point. Not that a point will satisfy them. It never does. Tite’s men will be going for the win and the first place in the group, even it means a Round of 16 matchup with Germany.
Serbia let a huge opportunity escape. After a promising opening 15-20 minutes, Krstajic’s men began slowly crumbling like a block of ice in the hot sun. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, who was supposed to be this team’s game-changer and difference-maker, disappeared. Aleksandar Mitrovic was left on an island, battling Switzerland’s entire defence on his own. Krstajic’s tactic was as predictable as in the first match with Costa Rica. The midfield, the team’s pressumed strong suit, was outwitted and outplayed. Even if Felix Brych failed to recognise a clear foul on Mitrovic that should’ve been a penalty, it doesn’t change reality. The Serbians choked when it mattered the most.
Mladen Krstajic’s formation is way too defensive. He doesn’t need three central midfielders. Two are enough. He should either push Milinkovic-Savic further forward, or substitute Luka Milivojevic with Adem Ljajic or even Luka Jovic. Serbia’s offensive is also too one-dimensional. There seem to be only two options in attack: long balls towards Aleksandar Mitrovic and exploitation of Dusko Tadic’s dribbling skills. They didn’t work in the two games prior and will not work in this one.
The Brazilians had countless chances to score throughout the contest against Costa Rica, but they became especially frequent once Douglas Costa and Roberto Firmino entered the lineup. Both Paulinho and Willian haven’t been at their best, which implies that Costa and Firmino warrant places in the starting eleven more than them. An offensive Brazil could blow by Serbia. The question is how offensive Tite determines his team ought to be. His staff will be monitoring the score in the Switzerland – Costa Rica game closely.
Serbia’s Balkan mentality light bulb (stepping up against tougher competition) could switch on for this matchup. Motivation will be at an all-time high. After all, what’s better than knocking out the five-time World Champion and the tournament’s main favorite? However, motivation was high for Switzerland too, yet it fizzled half way between Xhaka’s and Shaqiri’s goal. That’s because motivation alone is not enough. As always, overall quality prevails and the superior team wins.
Odds
Serbia 7
Draw 4.33
Brazil 1.44
