Serbia vs Switzerland Odds & Recap

Switzerland advanced to the Round of 16 with a 3-2 victory over Serbia on Friday, reaching the knockout stages for the third straight World Cup. In a back-and-forth match, Remo Freuler scored the winner for the Swiss just minutes into the second half, set up by a brilliant backheel lay off by Ruben Vargas.

Going into the match, everyone knew how tense this matchup was going to be. Due to political issues, both sides hate each other. The second half of extra time showed us exactly how much they did.

Switzerland entered the match with four players on a yellow card. This match saw a whopping 11 bookings, but the Swiss avoided getting any of their players suspended for their next game. Granit Xhaka, a man familiar with a red card or two in his time, was a central figure in the pushing and shoving but did well to keep his cool enough to avoid a sending-off. Back to the match action.

Four goals were scored in the opening 45 minutes, as this became the first World Cup match since England vs. Argentina in 1998 in which both teams scored multiple goals before half-time.

Xherdan Shaqiri had opened the scoring in the 20th minute before Serbia struck back with two goals in the next 15 minutes. After that, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Dusan Vlahovic got on the score sheet for the Serbs, who needed to win to have a chance of advancing to the knockout stages.

But when Breel Embolo equalized for Switzerland in the 44th minute, firing home from close range, Serbia was heading out of the World Cup as things stood. However, after the break, Freuler’s go-ahead goal proved vital, as Cameroon’s shock 1-0 victory over Brazil brought the African side into the equation.

📊 Team Stats 📊

Serbia	–	Switzerland
53%	Possession	47%
11	Total Shots	14
4	Shots on Target	7
6	Shots Wide	4
1	Shots Blocked	3
4	Saves	2
2	Corners	0
6	Yellow Cards	4
0	Red Cards	0
18	Fouls	14
0	Offsides	0
78%	Pass Accuracy	77%
2	Dribbles	2
22	Crosses	8
14	Tackles	10

Did We Get It Right?

Below you will find all the predictions we made before the matchup, on November 29, 2022.

Rematch of Memorable 2018 World Cup Game

In a rematch of a fiery 2018 World Cup game, Serbia take on Switzerland in the group stage finale. Both soccer teams can still qualify for the knockout stage but Switzerland currently have a two-point advantage over Serbia. Four years ago, Switzerland managed a 2-1 win and Serbia are out for revenge this time around. Serbia need to win to stay alive and even that might not be enough, while Switzerland can potentially go through with a draw. Let’s take a look at the Serbia vs. Switzerland odds for this decisive group stage match.

Team Standings and Odds:

Serbia and Switzerland met for the first time in the group stage of the 2018 World Cup. Serbia’s Aleksandar Mitrović opened up the scoring on a fifth minute header. In a hard fought match, the score remained 1-0 Serbia until the second half. Switzerland’s Granit Xhaka leveled the match on a thumping long range strike in the 52nd minute.

Later, Xherdan Shaqiri got in behind on a stoppage time counter attack and slotted home to win the match. Xhaka and Shaqiri, whose parents are Kosovar Albanians, both celebrated with the Albanian double-headed eagle gesture. They were both fined for “unsportsmanlike conduct” after the match as they allegedly flared up political tensions. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 after a bloody conflict in the late 90s. They’ll certainly be motivated for this match again and adds another element to betting on the Serbia vs Switzerland Odds.

Serbia’s defense held on for over an hour vs. Brazil but two Richarlison goals made the difference. On Monday vs. Cameroon, Serbia once again conceded the first goal of the match. Then, they mounted an impressive comeback which began with Strahinja Pavlović’s 45th minute goal. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic gave Serbia the lead just before the half and Aleksandar Mitrović added a second half insurance goal.

Then, Vincent Aboubakar came off the bench for Cameroon and leveled the score with a goal and assist. The 3-3 draw was highly disappointing for Serbia given the two-goal lead and now they’re on the brink of elimination. Pavlovic also came off with an injury in the 56th minute and is now listed as day-to-day.

Serbia have conceded five times in just two games and show just +150 FIFA Group G odds to advance. It’s interesting that Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic hasn’t played a bigger role but he’s reportedly struggling for fitness. Regardless, scoring wasn’t the issue in the Cameroon match and it’ll take a much better defensive effort to defeat Switzerland. The Swiss typically don’t give away anything easy on the defensive end so mistakes can be fatal.

Switzerland can hold their heads high after their 1-0 defeat to Brazil. The Nati managed to keep out an explosive Brazilian attack for nearly the whole match. It took a moment of magic from Brazil’s Casemiro to finally give the Seleção a lead. He sweetly struck an 83rd minute half-volley that Swiss keeper Yann Sommer could do nothing about. Despite the loss, Switzerland head into their match with Serbia in a good position. A draw will very likely be enough to go through but don’t expect Murat Yakin’s side to chance it.

The Swiss seem to always be well-drilled defensively and that’s certainly been the case this tournament. They’ve conceded just one goal in two matches to some dangerous offensive units. However, they haven’t created many chances on the other end with just three shots on target in two matches.

Plus, forward Xherdan Shaqiri wasn’t available for Switzerland on Monday vs. Brazil due to a muscle issue. He’ll certainly want to face Serbia on Friday but his status is worth monitoring in the lead up to the match. According to the FIFA World Cup 2022 odds, Switzerland are -230 favorites to advance to the last 16.

Match Analysis and Odds:

There is certainly a bit of bad blood between Serbia and Switzerland given how the last match unfolded. Both teams should be fired up for this match, especially with a knockout stage berth on the line. The Serbia vs Switzerland Odds list this match as a pick’em and it could absolutely come down to the wire. Serbia are -130 favorites to cover, while Switzerland come in at +110 ATS odds.

Switzerland aren’t far behind, at +190 odds. A draw comes in at +230 odds and the over/under goal total for the match is 2½

Serbia, who seem to pose more of an attacking threat, are +150 favorites to win the match but Switzerland aren’t far behind, at +190 odds. A draw comes in at +230 odds and the over/under goal total for the match is 2½. Granit Xhaka, who scored in this match four years ago, is expected to start in the center of the park. However, punters should keep an eye on any Xherdan Shaqiri updates. Switzerland’s talisman adds much needed creativity to the starting XI when healthy.

Under 2½ is implied to be more likely than the over, at -125 odds. Both of Switzerland’s matches so far have only had one goal scored. Meanwhile, Serbia matches have averaged four goals per game at Qatar 2022. The over comes in at +105 in what should be one of the most intriguing group stage finales.

Serbia vs Switzerland FAQ

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