Serbia made significant progress towards securing their place in the top flight of the UEFA Nations League by clinching a 2-0 victory over their close rivals, Switzerland. This win is particularly noteworthy as it is Serbia’s first-ever head-to-head victory against Switzerland.
Despite both teams vying to avoid relegation from Group A4, one would have expected a more competitive start from them. However, the opening stages of the match were rather uneventful, with Veljko Birmančević’s feeble attempt easily collected by Gregor Kobel providing the only moment of excitement. It wasn’t until just after the 30-minute mark that the first significant opportunity arose, but Breel Embolo squandered the chance by shooting wide after being set up by Silvan Widmer.
This missed opportunity came back to haunt Switzerland before halftime when Serbia took the lead against the run of play in stoppage time. The goal had an element of luck as Lazar Samardžić’s delivery caught the Swiss defense off guard and deflected into the net off Nico Elvedi’s outstretched leg.
The Serbian defense was caught off guard early in the second half when a cleverly executed short corner resulted in a goal by Embolo. However, the referee ruled that Dan Ndoye had strayed offside during the buildup, thus preserving Serbia’s clean sheet for a little longer.
This incident served as evidence that Serbia’s goal was living a charmed life, but it was actually the Swiss goal that was dangerously close to being breached. Thanks to Aleksandar Mitrović’s determination, he managed to keep a seemingly lost ball in play and was rewarded for his relentless running with a powerful right-footed shot that found the top corner. The lead could have been even more comfortable shortly after when Luka Jović’s header from six yards out forced an extraordinary point-blank save from Kobel. This save provided the Swiss team with an opportunity to get back into the game, but they squandered it when Embolo failed to convert from the penalty spot after Kosta Nedeljković had fouled Ndoye in the area.
Switzerland did not let that missed opportunity discourage them, and they persisted in searching for a way to get back into the game. They wasted two good chances from corners to reduce the deficit as the match approached its end. However, they were unable to find a consolation goal, and as a result, they remain without any points in Group A4. This puts them at risk of being relegated from League A for the first time ever. On the other hand, Serbia now appear to have a strong chance of staying in the top division in their inaugural Nations League campaign.
