Serbia 1-2 Switzerland: Xherdan Shaqiri steals vital win for Swiss

Xherdan Shaqiri's 90th-minute goal gave Switzerland a vital 2-1 victory over Serbia in a thrilling World Cup Group E encounter in Kaliningrad.

The Stoke midfielder broke clear over halfway and went through on goal with Serbia at the other end of the pitch, slotting brilliantly under Vladimir Stojkovic after the Swiss had earlier been 1-0 down.

Serbia were fastest out of the traps and went ahead through Aleksandar Mitrovic's header (5), but could have been further ahead before the break as Dusan Tadic and Dusko Tosic went close.

Switzerland equalised after the break (52) as Granit Xhaka ran onto a loose ball to produce a superb 25-yard drive into the far corner, before Shaqiri's winner at the death.

Mitrovic's header forced a fine save from Yann Sommer early on from Tadic's cross from the right, but that exact combination was successful seconds later as the Newcastle striker got the better of his marker Fabian Schar to nod home from six yards.

Serbia were more energetic in the first half but did concede chances; Haris Seferovic should have scored after Blerim Dzemaili's superb threaded ball, but Stojkovic tipped the poked effort wide from eight yards.

Serbia should have gone into half-time 2-0 up as Tosic mistimed his jump, unmarked in the six-yard box from a Tadic corner, before Tadic himself saw a fine long-range effort fly inches over.

Switzerland equalised against the run of play seven minutes after the break as Xhaka's long-range effort flew past the unsighted Stojkovic, and Shaqiri then hit the post with a superb fine shot from an acute angle on the edge of the box.

Mitrovic was furious he did not receive a penalty as both Stephan Lichtsteiner and Schar hauled him down in the box, with no VAR used and German referee Felix Byrch unmoved.

And Switzerland stole it as the game became stretched late on, with Tosic inexplicably looking to play offside with Shaqiri just inside his own half from Mario Gavranovic's through ball.

Shaqiri had 60 yards to bear down on goal, but he produced a lovely finish under Stojkovic to round off one of the best games of the tournament so far.

via Sky Sports