SWITZERLAND are through to the last-16 after coming out victorious against rivals Serbia.
Xherdan Shaqiri fired in the opener from the left-hand side, cutting in to hit a deflected shot past the goalkeeper.
However, they were not ahead for long as Aleksandr Mitrovic netted a sublime equaliser, heading his side level.
And they completed the turnaround as Dusan Vlahovic finished smartly into the bottom corner.
Despite this, Switzerland would not accept defeat and they equalised through Breel Embolo, tapping in after a fine move.
The best goal of the game came as Remo Freuler finished after an impressive passing move led to the goal, a crucial strike that saw his side go through to the knockout round.
- Kick-off time: 7pm GMT
- Live stream: ITV X
- TV channel: ITV Two
- Group G: LIVE TABLE
- Serbia XI: Milinkovic-Savic, Milenkovic, Veljkovic, Pavlovic, Zivkovic, Milinkovic-Savic, Lukic, Kostic, Tadic, Mitrovic, Vlahovic
- Switzerland XI: Kobel, Widmer, Akanji, Schar, Rodriguez, Xhaka, Freuler, Shaqiri, Sow, Vargas, Embolo
- Explainer: All the info for Serbia vs Switzerland
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Goodnight from Stadium 974
And goodbye to the group stage of Qatar 2022!
This week’s fixture finales have been thrill-a-minute rides that have keep the watching world on the edge of their seats until the last whistle.
Quite simply, it’s proved to be the most dramatic group stage the World Cup has even known, and a timely reminder to FIFA that their proposal of 16 groups of three teams for 2026 is a sham.
Back in 2022, Switzerland became the 16th and final team to seal their spot in the knockout stages, but not without the competitive challenge of Serbia – and even Cameroon.
Expect more drama tomorrow when the round of 16 commences, and that, of course, means the possibility of extra-time and penalties.
The eight ties begin with the Netherlands taking on the USA, and we’ll be here to cover every kick.
Until then, thanks and farewell.
Extra! Read all about it!
An evening that begun in scintillating style ended in chaos as emotions ran high among the Serbian and Swiss players, both on and off the pitch.
Our man in Qatar – Mark Irwin – has attempted to make sense of it with the filing of his match report of Switzerland’s 3-2 success at Stadium 974.
An appeal over the stadium tannoy for an end to offensive chants inevitably fell on deaf ears as the game reached its conclusion with a spate of yellow cards – and the only surprise was that the game finished with all 22 players still on the pitch.
Mark Irwin
Clash more yellow than mellow
Christmas is coming so perhaps it’s only right to expect plenty of cards.
It was certainly the case this evening as Serbia and Switzerland served up 11 in an emotionally-charged clash.
The 11 bookings are the most in a World Cup match since the 2010 final – and not a Howard Webb in sight.
Credit: @OptaFranz Twitter
Match stats from Stadium 974
Serbia failed to muster a single shot on target in the second half as their ‘gold-ish generation’ crashed out of the World Cup.
The Last 16 line-up
The eight groups have now been decided, and we know the full line-up for the first knockout stage of Qatar 2022.
- Netherlands v USA (Saturday, 3pm)
- Argentina v Australia (Saturday, 7pm)
- France v Poland (Sunday, 3pm)
- England v Senegal (Sunday, 7pm)
- Japan v Croatia (Monday, 3pm)
- Brazil v South Korea (Monday, 7pm)
- Morocco v Spain (Tuesday, 3pm)
- Portugal v Switzerland (Tuesday, 7pm)
The final Group G standings
For the first time since USA ’94, not one single side qualified from the group stage of a World Cup with maximum points.
Brazil won Group G despite losing this evening to Cameroon, who were edged out of second place by Switzerland’s victory over Serbia.
Credit: FIFA.com Full time – Serbia 2-3 Switzerland
The final whistle goes, and it’s Switzerland that progress to the knockout stages at the end of an emotionally-charged evening in Qatar.
Goals at the end of the first half and the start of the second knocked the stuffing out Serbia, and ultimately knocked Serbia out of the World Cup.
Dragan Stojkovic’s team is littered with talent, but one-by-one they were withdrawn as Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri got the better of them again.
Serbia 2-3 Switzerland
90+10. Into the 100th minute, and Serbia are still looking for a goal that would knock Switzerland out!
A free-kick is sent deep into the area where it’s headed out by Akanji to Radonjic, who pulls his volley wide.
Serbia 2-3 Switzerland
90+8. Dusan Tadic has just challenged for an aerial ball on the touchline.
Nothing strange about that, you might think.
Well, he was substituted about 20 minutes ago.
Serbia 2-3 Switzerland
90+5. Granit Xhaka and Aleksandar Mitrovic are still going at each other.
I’ll tell you what, Fulham versus Arsenal will be tasty later in the season.
Serbia 2-3 Switzerland
90+4. Here’s the flashpoint!
Two players square up to each on the touchline as the ball is shadowed out of play, and then all hell breaks loose.
Granit Xhaka and Nikola Milenkovic end up with bookings, but the arguments (and whistle blowing) are ongoing!
Serbia 2-3 Switzerland
90+2. A little late drama in Group G, but not her.
Cameroon have scored what is surely a late winner against Brazil through Vincent Aboubakar, who has been sent off for a second bookable offence for taking his shirt off.
If Serbia were to score here, it would be Cameroon that would qualify ahead of Switzerland.
Serbia 2-3 Switzerland
90. The board goes up to signal seven minutes of stoppage time.
The Serbian fans inside Stadium 974 look glum. The Swiss are giving each pass the ‘ole!’ treatment.
Serbia 2-3 Switzerland
89. A chance for Fassnacht to wrap it up, but his effort is saved!
It was lovely build-up play from fellow substitute Fernandes to exploit the gaps at the back.
Serbia 2-3 Switzerland
87. The second half at Stadium 974 hasn’t lived up to the expectation set by the first half.
Still, it’s been better than Brazil v Cameroon.
Serbia 2-3 Switzerland
85. Into the final five minutes, and it’s a shame to say that time and hope is rapidly running out for the Serbians.
Serbia 2-3 Switzerland
84. An inventive free-kick from Switzerland sees Akanji curl around the wall and into the side netting.
It’s a shame there haven’t been more twists and turns in Group G because Manchester City’s maths genius would have been the perfect person to help out fumbling commentators.
Serbia 2-3 Switzerland – Serbia yellow cards
82. Serbia are losing their cool somewhat – as if their wont.
Nemanja Gudelj is the first man into the book for dragging Embolo down five yards outside the penalty area.
And he’s joined shortly afterwards by Aleksandar Mitrovic, who is cautioned for giving referee Fernando Rapallini both barrels.
Serbia 2-3 Switzerland
80. Pavlovic is not going out without a fight – literally.
The defender, already on a yellow card, charges up the pitch, and catches Widmer after the Swiss full-back had sent a clearance up the line.
Serbia 2-3 Switzerland – Serbia double substitution
78. Dusan Tadic has shown flashes of true football genius tonight, but have his 34-year-old legs finally caught up with him?
Dragan Stojkovic thinks so, and withdraws his captain in a final double change.
Also off is Andrija Zivkovic with the pair replaced by Filip Duricic and Nemanja Radonjic.
Serbia 2-3 Switzerland
76. He’s gone under the radar, but Granit Xhaka has performed a vital for his country this evening.
What a season the Arsenal midfielder is having.
Serbia 2-3 Switzerland
74. Are Serbia starting to lose faith?
It’s gone a little bit flat, but a crunching challenge from Gudelj goes somewhere to lifting those in red.
Serbia 2-3 Switzerland
72. The pattern for the rest of the game now seems set.
Serbia are in possession, attempting to break down a defensive Switzerland to keep their World Cup alive.
The Swiss, meanwhile, are looking to kill this contest off on the counter.
Serbia 2-3 Switzerland
70. Switzerland are doubling up on Mitrovic now, but the fearsome striker is still taking the game to them.
He is unable to get on the end of an overhit centre, but moments later is able to get a shot away from outside the box that crashes into the nearest defender.
Serbia 2-3 Switzerland
69. Those substitutions, and the protests from the bench, have taken some sting out of the contest just when Serbia were building up a head of steam.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
