Samara: Serbia’s coach Mladen Krstajic will be a happy man after winning 1-0 against Costa Rica at the Samara Arena. Serbia were the dominant team in the first-half and showed quality in the second. Costa Rica had their chances but failed to capitalise in the final third. Aleksandar Kolarov’s brilliant goal from a free-kick sealed it for Serbia in the Group E game of the FIFA World Cup 2018.
Here are the updates from the match:
FULL TIME!!! Serbia 1-0 Costa Rica
90+5 minute: YELLOW card! Prijovic of Serbia gets booked for a bad foul. It is all over.
90+4 minute: That was close! For a moment, Costa Rica had their hearts on their nerves. But clouds it away.
90+3 minute: Serbian player picks up a fight with the Costa Rican official, who refused to pass the ball after it went out of play.
90+1 minute: Costa Rica's player tries to hit the ball from distance but hits an airball.
5 minutes of stoppage time
88 minute: Substitution for Serbia. Prijovic in for Mitrovic
86 minute: Serbian player goes down in the penalty box, that looked close but the referee says play on. NO PENALTY!
84 minute: The Costa Ricans are pushing hard, but their strikers need to get their together. They have not troubled the Serbian goalkeeper so far.
81 minute: Substitution for Serbia. Rukavina replaces Tosic.
79 minute: Great block by Milinkovic. It looks like Costa Rica want to equalise, but they are falling short and the clock is ticking. 10 minutes to go.
75 minute: Serbia waste a golden opportunity. The striker misses an open shot at goal. Poor effort.
70 minute: Substitution for Costa Rica Colindres in for Guzman.
69 minute: Substitution for Serbia, Kostic replaces Ljajic.
This is the longest time since 1986, without a Red card being awarded. They are behaving well in Russia.
67 minute: Costa Rica are trying to settle in the midfield but they are giving away the ball easily in the box.
66 minute: Substitution for Costa Rica, Campbell in for Urena.
62 minute: Serbia look hungry and are up and hunting for a second goal. Costa Rica suddenly look flat.
58 minute: Substitution for Costa Rica, Bolanos replaces Venegas.
57 minute: YELLOW card! Ivanovic gets booked for a sliding tackle.
56 minute: GOAL!!! Kolarov scores off a brilliant left-footed free-kick onto the top right corner. What a goal! Serbia 1-0 Costa Rica
55 minute: YELLOW card! Costa Rica's Guzmán gets booked.
53 minute: Corner for Serbia, Mitrovic heads it away. Costa Rica are certainly under pressure at the moment.
51 minute: While Costa Rica are hanging on in the defence, Serbia continue to threaten them.
49 minute: What an effort! Serbia's Mitrovic was onside but he could not finish it off as Costa Rica's Navas makes a great save.
48 minute: Serbia are on the charge and have a chance to apply pressure on the Costa Rica defenders.
Second-half is underway
Serbia 1-0 Costa Rica
Half-time! Both Serbia and Costa Rica had their chances as both teams go goalless after the first-half.
45+1 minute: Wonderful through ball by Costa Rica but the striker fails to find space in the final third.
2 minutes of stoppage time
43 minute: What an effort from Milinkovic-Savic, who goes for a bicycle kick but Navas was quick enough to save that.
40 minute: 5 minutes to go in the first-half and both teams are looking to take a lead before they go in for break.
39 minute: Corner for Costa Rica.
35 minute: Tosic goes down in a collision. The players take a breather.
35 minute: Serbia's Tadic is fouled near the Costa Rican box. Free-kick to Serbia. That could be dangerous.
31 minute: Serbia are dominating the first-half so far as they force Costa Rica to defend deep into their half.
29 minute: The Rhythm of the game has suddenly dipped as Serbia enjoy a healthy possession.
27 minute: MISS! Serbia give away a great opportunity, as their striker goes offside.
25 minute: Clever play by Serbia, they are operating smoothly up front, Costa Rica on back-foot.
Costa Rica's goalkeeper Navas has won the Champions League, three times in a row with Real Madrid.
20 minute: YELLOW card! First yellow card of the day for Costa Rica's Calvo.
17 minute: Free-kick for Serbia. Costa-Rican's goalkeeper Navas did look in trouble, but the ball is cleared away.
14 minute: Serbia's Ivanovic displays great technique as he shoots directly into the Costa Rican goalkeeper. First signs of attack by the Serbians.
13 minute: Free-kick for Serbia. Costa Rica are up and banging in the final third.
11 minute: That was close! Costa Rica could have scored there. Gonzalez fails to shoot on the goal with his wide header.
8 minute: Serbia's Kolarov hits an ambitious shot way past the Costa Rican target.
5 minute: What a start to the match! Costa Rica have already had two corners.
Lineups
Costa Rica XI: Navas, Gamboa, Gonzalez, Acosta, Durate, Calvo, Venegas, Guzman, Borges, Ruiz, Urena.
Serbia XI: Stojkovic, Ivanovic, Milenkovic, Tosic, Kolarov, Milivojevic, Matic, Milinkovic-Savic, Tadic, Mitrovic, Ljajic.
Costa Rica full squad:
Goalkeepers: Keylor Navas (Real Madrid/ESP), Patrick Pemberton (Alajuelense), Leonel Moreira (Herediano)
Defenders: Cristian Gamboa (Celtic/SCO), Ian Smith (Norrkoping/SWE), Ronald Matarrita (New York City FC/USA), Bryan Oviedo (Sunderland/ENG), Oscar Duarte (Espanyol/ESP), Giancarlo Gonzalez (Bologna/ITA), Francisco Calvo (Minnesota United/USA), Kendall Waston (Vancouver Whitecaps/USA), Johnny Acosta (Rionegro Aguilas/COL)
Midfielders: David Guzman (Portland Timbers/USA), Yeltsin Tejeda (Lausanne/SUI), Celso Borges (Deportivo La Coruna/ESP), Randall Azofeifa (Herediano), Rodney Wallace (New York City FC/USA), Cristian Bolanos (Saprissa) Bryan Ruiz (Sporting Lisbon/POR)
Forwards: Daniel Colindres (Saprissa), Joel Campbell (Real Betis/ESP), Johan Venegas (Saprissa), Marco Urena (Los Angeles FC/USA)
Serbia full squad:
Goalkeepers: Vladimir Stojkovic (Partizan Belgrade), Predrag Rajkovic (Maccabi Tel Aviv/ISR), Marko Dmitrovic (Eibar/ESP)
Defenders: Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma/ITA), Antonio Rukavina (Villarreal/ESP), Milan Rodic (Red Star Belgrade), Branislav Ivanovic (Zenit Saint Petersburg/RUS), Uros Spajic (Anderlecht/BEL), Milos Veljkovic (Werder Bremen/GER), Dusko Tosic (Besiktas/TUR), Nikola Milenkovic (Fiorentina/ITA)
Midfielders: Nemanja Matic (Manchester United/ENG), Luka Milivojevic (Crystal Palace/ENG), Marko Grujic (Cardiff City/ENG), Dusan Tadic (Southampton/ENG), Andrija Zivkovic (Benfica/POR), Filip Kostic (Hamburg/GER), Nemanja Radonjic (Red Star Belgrade), Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (Lazio/ITA), Adem Ljajic (Torino/ITA)
Forwards: Aleksandar Mitrovic (Fulham/ENG), Aleksandar Prijovic (PAOK Thessaloniki/GRE), Luka Jovic (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER)
