Serbia and Switzerland go into crunch WC Group G final match needing wins to progress
Serbia vs Switzerland - 02/12/2022
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Serbia and Switzerland will meet on the final day of World Cup Group G with both national teams battling for a place in the round of 16.
Switzerland have a straightforward route to the knockout stages. A win would send them through, while a draw would force them to hope Cameroon do not win against Brazil in Group G’s other fixture.
Serbia, on the other hand, must win against Switzerland and hope Cameroon do not defeat Brazil. The Eagles threw away a two-goal lead against Cameroon on matchday No 2, which could ultimately be the reason for going home after the group stage.
Switzerland and Serbia met one time previously in international football. The fixture was played at the 2018 edition of the FIFA World Cup. Switzerland won the game 2-1
Aleksandar Mitrovic scored in the fifth minute to put Serbia up 1-0. Switzerland battled back with goals from Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri in the second half to win. Shaqiri’s winner came in the 90th minute.
Switzerland coach Murat Yakin needs the team to create more chances. The Red Crosses scored just one goal in their opening two matches. Switzerland average just 6.5 shots per game after two matches.
Serbia scored three times against Cameroon but conceded three times. The Eagles allowed five goals across their opening two fixtures. Serbia averaged 10 shots a game in their opening two fixtures. Coach Dragan Stojkovic needs the team to put away their chances against Switzerland.
Yakin will stick with his 4-2-3-1 formation to give the team a strong defensive base. Serbia have a fantastic attack and Switzerland will aim to slow it down with two defensive midfielders.
Stojkovic uses a 3-4-2-1 attacking formation. He should start Juventus’s Filip Kostic on the left flank once more as a wing-back. Kostic didn’t play against Brazil but started versus Cameroon, and was able to exploit the left side.
Mitrovic, Strahinja Pavlovic, and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic scored Serbia’s goals against Cameroon. Striker Mitrovic has a history of scoring against Switzerland and will fancy his chances of a goal on Friday.
Yakin did not use Shaqiri against Brazil. The coach obviously felt Shaqiri’s defensive work was an issue against an attacking team like Brazil. However, had Shaqiri played, he may have created a goal for the team, as he did against Cameroon. Shaqiri should start versus Serbia.
Switzerland have a slight advantage knowing a draw will likely take them through, while a win would assure them progression. The Swiss should pick up another narrow win against Serbia, with the game ending, 2-1. Shaqiri could play a massive role.
Home team
Away team
Pred
Correct score
Avg. goals
Weather conditions
Coef.
Score
Live
coef.
WC
203545
2
1 - 2
2.54
26°
2.80
2.55
3.40
2.80
no
no
no
2 - 3(2 - 2)
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