Remo Freuler fires Switzerland to thrilling win over Serbia

Switzerland booked their trip to the last 16 at the World Cup after edging a heated 3-2 contest with Serbia at Stadium 974.

Xherdan Shaqiri opened the scoring in a fiery end-to-end first half before Aleksandar Mitrovic levelled six minutes later.

Dusan Vlahovic handed Serbia their first lead after 35 minutes but saw it cancelled out by Breel Embolo who sent the sides level into the break.

It took Remo Freuler just three minutes to net the eventual winner after the restart and – despite chances for both sides – ensured Switzerland sealed second spot in Group G.

Switzerland edged the 2018 group-stage encounter between the two sides when Granit Xhaka cancelled out Mitrovic's opener and Shaqiri fired in a last-gasp winner.

Both men were back in Murat Yakin’s starting XI for Switzerland, who got off to an electric start with two good attempts inside the first 25 seconds, Vanja Milinkovic-Savic saving a close-range effort from Embolo before Xhaka failed to bury the rebound.

Serbia won the first corner but Nikola Milenkovic nodded off target. Soon after, Dusan Tadic found Andrija Zivkovic in space who tried to pull his side ahead after 10 minutes but his powerful strike from distance instead thumped off the left post and at the feet of Mitrovic, who saw his attempt gathered by Gregor Kobel.

It took 90 minutes for Shaqiri to find the back of the next in 2018 – this time it took just 20, beginning with Ricardo Rodriguez’s drive into the area from the left.

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