Our football match prediction:
Serbia
Match Time & Date:
22/06/2018
19:00 GMT
Prediction: 1-1
Switzerland
Kaliningrad Stadium will host Friday’s football game between Serbia and Switzerland. The Serbs sit in top position in Group E ahead of the match as they outplayed Costa Rica in their opener. Aleksandar Kolarov scored a stunning goal from the free-kick, but a man to watch in the home team will be Real Madrid target Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, who proved his worth in the 1-0 win over los Ticos. The Rossocrociati, on the other hand, did well to hold Brazil to a 1-1 draw in their first group game, but their performance in the clash against the South American giants was anything but brilliant. The two teams seem to be evenly matched at the moment and seeing that they are likely to adopt a cautious approach in Friday’s clash, share of spoils is on the cards. It has to be noted that the two teams meet for the first time ever at the showpiece tournament.
Highlighted Player (Luka Milivojevic):
Born in Kragujevac, Serbia on April 7, 1991, Luka Milivojevic is a product of his home-town club Radnicki Kragujevac. After making 17 appearances for the club in the 2007/2008 season, Milivojevic joined fellow Serbian Super Liga team Rad at the end of the season. The 186-cm-tall midfielder, who is well known for his brilliant long-range shots, played for “Gradjevinari” from 2008 to 2012 and then he moved to famous Serbian club Crvena zvezda (Red Star). Luka Milivojevic scored seven goals in 36 appearances in the league for the capital club, but at the end of the 2012/2013 season he signed a five-year deal with Belgian outfit Anderlecht. During the 2013/2014 season the Serbian midfielder was on Olympiakos’ radar and he soon joined the Greek giants. Milivojevic quickly established himself as a first-team regular at Olympiakos, but in January, 2017 the club chiefs decided to sell him to Premier League side Crystal Palace. It has to be noted that the Serbia international scored two goals in 14 appearances for the Eagles in the 2016/2017 Premier League campaign.
Highlighted Team (Switzerland):
While missing the first ever World Cup, Switzerland played at next four, reaching the quarter-finals on three occasions, but they were unable to repeat the success in next six appearances. Nati reached the first knockout stage in 1994, 2006 and 2014, but they couldn’t make the next step. When it comes to their European Championship appearances, the situation is even worse, as the team only qualified for the 1996, 2004 and 2016 finals, while they automatically qualified for the 2008 tournament together with co-hosts Austria. Switzerland national team of late have profited from the multicultural environment, as they appear to have closed the gap behind top European sides and also adopted a more adventurous style of play. The new generation is probably the most talented yet, with players like Xherdan Shaqiri, Granit Xhaka, Stephan Lichtsteiner, Ricardo Rodriguez and Valon Behrami all held in high regard. Nati now have a unique chance to try and reach the closing stages of a major tournament as their key men are either at their peak or will be there in the next couple of years.
