Why do I say that? Well, other than what’s at stake in Kaliningrad, there’s also a political background to this game that I prefer not to get involved with. It’s something that will add fuel and intensity to this contest of evenly matched teams and make it a must-watch on Friday night.
What’s at stake? A place in the Round of 16. If Switzerland had lost to Brazil, then Serbia could’ve afforded to play for a draw here. However, the Swiss snatched a point. Another point here and they’ll go into the last round match against Costa Rica, who will likely be playing for pride, needing a win to progress. Meanwhile, Serbia faces Brazil in the last match and would have to avoid defeat to stand a chance of moving on. That’s a daunting task and one they would much rather avoid. The only way to do that is by getting the better of a team that rarely loses.
Captain Aleksandar Kolarov bailed out Serbia against Costa Rica. Yes, his team probably deserved the win, but it wasn’t as good as some experts expected it would be. Mladen Krstajic’s tactic was too predictable. Aleksandar Mitrovic was used as a decoy to draw opponents away from the box so Sergej Milinkovic-Savic can infiltrate it and do damage.
The other problem was Krstajic’s reluctancy to let Kolarov and Ivanovic get deeper into enemy territory, afraid of exposing the soft defensive pairing of Milenkovic and Tosic. That left Southampton’s Dusan Tadic constantly forced to take on more than one defender. Adam Ljajic was also misused and played in a role where his abilities can’t prosper. Filip Kostic’s introduction in the second half, on the other hand, was a boom. His movement disoriented Costa Rica’s defense and opened up some of the space that was closed all game long.
In all righteousness, Switzerland should be entering this game with zero points on the board. In addition to Zuber pushing off Miranda upon scoring, the Swiss did nothing against Brazil. That doesn’t mean Petkovic will change anything. Maybe they were a bit more defensive than usual against such a reputable opponent, but generally speaking, that’s just how they play. Haris Seferovic should have an easier time against the Serbian center backs than he did against Thiago Silva and Miranda. Breel Embolo could also be dangerous as a substitute.
This is a matchup of two powerful, destructive midfields. That’s where Serbia’s strength is. However, Switzerland cancels that strength out. Seferovic and Mitrovic have similar profiles, so that’s another draw. Both left backs are excellent free-kick takers, both right backs are ageless wonders, both center back duos are combinations of experience and youth. As you can see, there’s nothing separating these two. Other than a red card or a set piece, nothing can separate them.
