Switzerland face Serbia at the Letzigrund. The opponent they defeated in emotional matches at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. However, the last duel went to the Serbs a month ago.
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- Switzerland versus Serbia – the matches at the last two World Cups were not only emotional on the pitch.
- The Swiss national team won two of the three games against Serbia. However, the last duel was lost in the Nations League.
- Today, the Nati face Serbia again at the Letzigrund and need a win to avoid relegation from the Nations League.
So far, there have only been three matches between Switzerland and Serbia. But at least two of them will live long in the memory because the emotions went far beyond the action on the pitch. We take a look back at the intense duels against today’s opponents.
2018 World Cup, group stage
June 22, 2018, Switzerland-Serbia 2:1
5′ 0:1 Mitrovic
53′ 1:1 Xhaka
90′ 2:1 Shaqiri
The second group match against Serbia at the 2018 World Cup is crucial for progression to the round of 16. After drawing 1-1 against Brazil in the first match, Switzerland got off to a false start against Serbia and fell behind after just five minutes through Aleksandar Mitrovic. But Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri, of all people, turned the game around. For the two players with Kosovan roots, the match is particularly explosive for political reasons.
Politics actually played a role in the game. Xhaka forms the double-headed eagle, the heraldic animal of Albania, with his hands while celebrating after the 1:1. After the 2:1 in the 90th minute, Shaqiri does the same. The pictures go around the world and the “double eagle affair” is subsequently discussed more intensively than Switzerland’s strong World Cup performance.
In sporting terms, Switzerland qualified for the round of 16 with a 2-2 draw in the last group game against Costa Rica, where the big disappointment followed. A 1-0 defeat against Sweden in a poor game.
2022 World Cup, group stage
2 December 2022, Switzerland-Serbia 3:2
20′ 1:0 Shaqiri
26′ 1:1 Mitrovic
35′ 1:2 Vlahovic
44′ 2:2 Embolo
48′ 3:2 Freuler
Four years after the venomous clash in Russia, Switzerland and Serbia will meet in the group stage of the Winter World Cup in Qatar. Once again, the two teams will be competing to qualify for the knockout phase. And how could it be otherwise? Xherdan Shaqiri scores again for Switzerland. But Serbia were able to turn the game around thanks to their star strikers Aleksandar Mitrovic and Dusan Vlahovic.
However, Switzerland found an answer in the first half and equalized through Breel Embolo. Remo Freuler then scored in the second half after a wonderful chipped pass from Vargas to make it 3:2. It was the final score, but not the end of the game. Xhaka is repeatedly provoked and taunted by the Serbs. The midfielder finally got carried away with an obscene gesture and cheered after the game in the shirt of Ardon Jashari, which was also seen as a political statement. After all, Jashari is also the name of an independence fighter who fought for Kosovo’s separation from Serbia back in the 1990s.
As a result, as in 2018, the focus of media attention is not on the victory, but on everything surrounding it. Xhaka was lucky not to be suspended and was allowed to play in the round of 16 against Portugal. But the air is out of the Nati, Switzerland go down 6-1 and have to fly home.
Nations League 2024
October 12, 2024, Serbia-Switzerland 2:0
45.+1. 1:0 Elvedi (own goal)
61. 2:0 Mitrovic
The last match against Serbia was not so long ago and is one that Switzerland would like to forget as quickly as possible. In the Nations League, the national team put in an uninspired performance away from home. The great excitement that was expected in the run-up to the game failed to materialize – even on the pitch. As a result, Switzerland were beaten 2:0. In addition to a curious own goal from Nico Elvedi, old master Mitrovic scored again. It was his third goal in his third game against Switzerland.
Switzerland need a win today in the second leg at the Letzigrund in Zurich to avoid relegation from Nations League Group B.