In order to make it out of Group E, Serbia knows what it must do. They must win their last game. Serbia has yet to qualify for the knockout round since Montenegro split to form their own country over a decade ago, so they know it’s going to be an uphill battle. Especially since their final opponent will be Brazil.
Brazil are in a more precarious spot than they have been in the past. A loss would likely knock them out of the World Cup, so they need to ensure they pick up a result. That means they will not be resting players in their final match and will not take their foot off the gas pedal against Serbia.
The most anticipated sporting event in the world comes around once every four years, so don’t miss any of the 2018 World Cup. This match will take place at Spartak Stadium in Moscow at 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday, June 27, 2018. Catch every moment of the match live on FOX.
World Cup Group Stage Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Serbia +591
Brazil -196
Draw +332
Over/Under 2.5
Recent Form
Some 90-minute heroics in both matches last Friday completely flipped the script in Group E. For Serbia, it was disastrous. Serbia took an early 1-0 lead on an Aleksandar Mitrovic header off of a corner kick in the fifth minute of their match against Switzerland on Friday. They took the lead into halftime, but then Granit Xhaka scored shortly after the break to level. A draw looked certain, but then Serbia was caught pressing too far forward in the 90th minute and Xherdan Shaqiri knocked in a goal to give Switzerland a 2-1 victory. That really hurt Serbia’s chances to qualify, leaving them with just three points after an earlier win against Costa Rica.
Meanwhile, Brazil needed all 90 minutes, and then some, to get three points out of their match against Costa Rica. Brazil was in need of a win after drawing with Switzerland in their opener, but the Ticos were firm at the back. The Selecao were unable to break through despite completely dominating the run of play with 22 shots compared to just three from the side of Costa Rica though. However, after a number of near misses, Costa Rica finally broke in extra time. Philippe Coutinho was there to knock home a loose ball a minute into stoppage time, and then Neymar delivered the final blow with a nice touch a few minutes later. Brazil needed those points in a bad way.
Player to Watch
Neymar’s goal left him all alone in third place on the list of Brazil’s all-time leading goal scorers, only behind legends Ronaldo and Pele. However, this World Cup has been a bit frustrating for him. He is generally seen as the third-best player in the world, only behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, yet Brazil has not been able to find their form on offense and he has been somewhat outshined by Coutinho.
It will be interesting to see whether or not scoring that goal will release a lot of the pressure. Neymar hasn’t performed poorly, but he has had a few near-misses. He will look to change that.
Injury Angle
Brazil will be without two of their players for their match against Serbia on Wednesday. Danilo and Douglas Costa have both been ruled out and did not travel with the team to Moscow for the game.
Danilo did not play against Costa Rica, resting a hip injury, while Costa hurt his hamstring in the game against the Ticos. Fagner started in place of Danilo earlier, and he will likely get the start against Serbia, while Costa was a substitute. His absence means that Renato Augusto will likely be used as a substitute instead.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
Serbia can give Brazil some problems due to their size, but it feels like Brazil is due to break through. After struggling to score in their last match, I see Brazil getting a couple early goals to put the issue to bed.
World Cup Group Stage Odds: Brazil 2, Serbia 1
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