Fifa World Cup: Results and reactions from day twelve
Serbia play Switzerland in a World Cup Group G decider in Qatar. All four teams in the group are still able to progress, but it’s Switzerland who are in the driving seat in this game following their opening win against Cameroon. They will qualify for the last 16 with a win, and will also do so with a draw unless Cameroon beat Brazil in the other fixture of Group B.
Serbia must win in order to progress after being pegged back by Cameroon in a 3-3 thriller last time out. If Cameroon also win, Serbia will have to win by a greater margin.
There is significant tension riding on tonight’s match following the last meeting between the teams, which came at the 2018 World Cup four years ago. Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri scored for Switzerland in a 2-1 win, with both players celebrating their goals with an Albanian eagle. Serbia do not recognise Kosovo as an independent state and both teams were fined by Fifa afterwards.
Xhaka played down the tensions in the build-up, however. “There’s nothing in the history behind these two games,” he said. “We are Switzerland, they are Serbia and that’s it. We’re here to play football, as are they.”
Follow all the action with our live blog below including Brazil vs Cameroon updates or follow all the action from Brazil vs Cameroon HERE:
Serbia vs Switzerland updates
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Serbia 1-1 Switzerland
33 mins: This has been a completely breathless first half. After all the drama, Switzerland are going through as it stands but one goal from Serbia would change that.
Ruben Vargas gets booked for a lunge on Zivkovic – it’s fair enough to be honest.
Luke Baker2 December 2022 19:34
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CHANCE! Serbia 1-1 Switzerland
30 mins: Should that have been 2-1?! A stunning cross-field ball frees Shaqiri and he’s in on goal from the left but only finds the side netting with his shot. To be fair, Veljkovic got back and slid across to put him off.
What a match this is! You can keep your Brazil vs Cameroon…
Luke Baker2 December 2022 19:32
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GOAL! Serbia 1-1 Switzerland (Mitrovic ‘26)
Serbia equalise and if we’re playing the ‘who else could it have been’ game, then, well – here’s Mitrovic…
They drive forward down the left, the impressive Tadic takes it on and floats a gorgeous cross towards the penalty spot where Mitrovic loses his marker and flicks a header beyond Kobel into the right-hand corner. Great header – he created the power with his neck but also a sumptuous ball in.
Luke Baker2 December 2022 19:27
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Serbia 0-1 Switzerland
24 mins: It had to be Xherdan Shaqiri really with the goal. He didn’t strike it completely cleanly, I think he was aiming for the far corner, but got enough on it to bobble it into the near corner.
Serbia need to respond and find two goals now to keep their qualification hopes alive.
Luke Baker2 December 2022 19:25
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GOAL! Serbia 0-1 Switzerland (Shaqiri 20’)
The Swiss take the lead against the run of play! Who else but Shaqiri.
Great work by Rodriguez down the left and his dangerous cross is only cleared to Sow, who helps it on to Shaqiri and the Swiss man cuts in on his left foot and fires a shot through bodies into the corner.
A ‘shhhh’ celebration from Shaqiri, who was born in Serbia and celebrated much more provocatively when he scored against them in the World Cup four years ago…
Switzerland safely heading through as it stands.
Luke Baker2 December 2022 19:20
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Serbia 0-0 Switzerland
19 mins: Kostic having plenty of joy down the left as he gets beyond Widmer again before having his cross cleared. Widmer is already on a yellow card so has to be careful and Serbia look keen to exploit that.
Luke Baker2 December 2022 19:20
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Serbia 0-0 Switzerland
18 mins: Serbia win another corner but it’s well defended again. Then there’s clever link-up play between Tadic and Kostic on the left, with the latter able to burst into the box but Switzerland scramble men across to crowd him out.
Serbia showing some nice touches here and have come closest to opening the scoring.
Luke Baker2 December 2022 19:19
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Serbia 0-0 Switzerland
15 mins: Tadic puts in the free-kick towards Milinkovic-Savic but it’s headed away by the Swiss defence and safely out for a throw.
Luke Baker2 December 2022 19:16
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Serbia 0-0 Switzerland
14 mins: Brilliant play for Embolo as he turns on the halfway line, slips between two defenders and plays the ball wide to Vargas. His low cross is hit by Sow but blocked away by Serbia.
This is brilliant end-to-end stuff. At the other end, Widmer gets a yellow card for hauling down Kostic on the left.
Luke Baker2 December 2022 19:16
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POST! Serbia 0-0 Switzerland
10 mins: Serbia hit the post! Tadic does good work on the right, flicks the ball back to Zivkovic who cuts in and his thumping effort from outside the box beats Kobel but cannons back off the left post.
The rebound falls to Mitrovic but he doesn’t know much about it and a grateful Kobel is able to jump on it.
Luke Baker2 December 2022 19:12