Aleksandar Kolarov scored a spectacular free-kick to give Serbia a deserved victory in their opening World Cup Group E match against Costa Rica.
Serbia captain Kolarov – the former Manchester City defender – scored from 25 yards when he curled the ball over the Costa Rica wall.
Kolarov’s effort had sufficient bend to find the top corner with Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas clutching at thin air as he desperately scrambled across goal.
Costa Rica only sporadically threatened the Serbia goal, with an early header over the crossbar from unmarked defender Giancarlo Gonzalez their best effort.
With games against Brazil and Switzerland to come, this was a key match for both nations to press their credentials to reach the knockout stages.
Mladen Krstajic’s Serbia side – the lowest ranked European nation at Russia 2018 – now appear the best placed of the two to progress after a dominant second-half display.
The margin of victory would have been greater had Navas not narrowed the angle to deny Newcastle striker Aleksandar Mitrovic after he had been sent clear by the impressive Sergej Milinkovic-Savic earlier in the game.
Serbia’s Nemanja Matic, meanwhile, was involved in an ugly confrontation with a member of the Costa Rica coaching staff in injury time as the Manchester United midfielder tried to retrieve the ball after it went out of play.
Before this encounter Serbia had managed one victory in their last six World Cup tournament matches, and lost both of their opening World Cup group games as an independent nation following the break up of Yugoslavia.
Optimism in the Balkan state heading into this tournament was not particularly high.
Indeed the country’s football association cancelled an open-top bus parade in Belgrade as part of a send-off to the tournament because they predicted such a lukewarm reaction.
After a cautious start in this match there are some encouraging signs that Krstajic’s blend of a gnarled experienced defence combined with a youthful technically-gifted midfield could make an impression.
“There are no clans or cliques in this squad for the first time in a long time,” Krstajic said. “The basics of success are a good atmosphere in a team.”
The creative talents of Milinkovic-Savic were particularly eye-catching and there is the sense that he must follow this impressive showing against stronger opposition.
A sterner test of Serbia’s capabilities will come in their remaining Group E games with Brazil and Switzerland but after a low-key build-up, this was an encouraging display.
