FIFA World Cup 2018: Serbia vs Costa Rica - As it happened

Pic courtesy:Twitter/@FSSrbije

Samara: Serbia’s coach Mladen Krstajic will be a happy man after winning 1-0 against Costa Rica at the Samara Arena. Serbia were the dominant team in the first-half and showed quality in the second. Costa Rica had their chances but failed to capitalise in the final third. Aleksandar Kolarov’s brilliant goal from a free-kick sealed it for Serbia in the Group E game of the FIFA World Cup 2018. 

Here are the updates from the match:

FULL TIME!!! Serbia 1-0 Costa Rica

90+5 minute: YELLOW card! Prijovic of Serbia gets booked for a bad foul. It is all over. 

90+4 minute: That was close! For a moment, Costa Rica had their hearts on their nerves. But clouds it away. 

90+3 minute: Serbian player picks up a fight with the Costa Rican official, who refused to pass the ball after it went out of play.

90+1 minute: Costa Rica's player tries to hit the ball from distance but hits an airball. 

5 minutes of stoppage time

88 minute: Substitution for Serbia. Prijovic in for Mitrovic

86 minute: Serbian player goes down in the penalty box, that looked close but the referee says play on. NO PENALTY!

84 minute: The Costa Ricans are pushing hard, but their strikers need to get their together. They have not troubled the Serbian goalkeeper so far. 

81 minute: Substitution for Serbia. Rukavina replaces Tosic. 

79 minute: Great block by Milinkovic. It looks like Costa Rica want to equalise, but they are falling short and the clock is ticking. 10 minutes to go. 

75 minute:   Serbia waste a golden opportunity. The striker misses an open shot at goal. Poor effort.   

70  minute: Substitution for Costa Rica Colindres in for Guzman. 

69 minute: Substitution for Serbia, Kostic replaces Ljajic. 

This is the longest time since 1986, without a Red card being awarded. They are behaving well in Russia. 

67 minute: Costa Rica are trying to settle in the midfield but they are giving away the ball easily in the box. 

66 minute: Substitution for Costa Rica, Campbell in for Urena. 

62 minute: Serbia look hungry and are up and hunting for a second goal. Costa Rica suddenly look flat. 

58 minute: Substitution for Costa Rica, Bolanos replaces Venegas. 

57 minute: YELLOW card! Ivanovic gets booked for a sliding tackle. 

56 minute: GOAL!!! Kolarov scores off a brilliant left-footed free-kick onto the top right corner. What a goal! Serbia 1-0 Costa Rica

55 minute: YELLOW card!  Costa Rica's Guzmán gets booked.  

53 minute: Corner for Serbia, Mitrovic heads it away. Costa Rica are certainly under pressure at the moment. 

51 minute: While Costa Rica are hanging on in the defence, Serbia continue to threaten them. 

49 minute: What an effort! Serbia's Mitrovic was onside but he could not finish it off as Costa Rica's Navas makes a great save. 

48 minute: Serbia are on the charge and have a chance to apply pressure on the Costa Rica defenders. 

Second-half is underway

Serbia 1-0 Costa Rica

Half-time!  Both Serbia and Costa Rica had their chances as both teams go goalless after the first-half. 

45+1 minute:  Wonderful through ball by Costa Rica but the striker fails to find space in the final third.  

2 minutes of stoppage time 

43 minute: What an effort from Milinkovic-Savic, who goes for a bicycle kick but Navas was quick enough to save that. 

40 minute: 5 minutes to go in the first-half and both teams are looking to take a lead before they go in for break. 

39 minute: Corner for Costa Rica. 

35 minute:  Tosic goes down in a collision. The players take a breather. 

35 minute: Serbia's Tadic is fouled near the Costa Rican box. Free-kick to Serbia. That could be dangerous. 

31 minute:  Serbia are dominating the first-half so far as they force Costa Rica to defend deep into their half. 

29 minute: The Rhythm of the game has suddenly dipped as Serbia enjoy a healthy possession. 

27 minute: MISS! Serbia give away a great opportunity, as their striker goes offside. 

25 minute: Clever play by Serbia, they are operating smoothly up front, Costa Rica on back-foot. 

Costa Rica's goalkeeper Navas has won the Champions League, three times in a row with Real Madrid.  

20 minute: YELLOW card! First yellow card of the day for Costa Rica's Calvo.

17 minute: Free-kick for Serbia. Costa-Rican's goalkeeper Navas did look in trouble, but the ball is cleared away. 

14 minute:  Serbia's Ivanovic displays great technique as he shoots directly into the Costa Rican goalkeeper. First signs of attack by the Serbians. 

13 minute: Free-kick for Serbia. Costa Rica are up and banging in the final third. 

11 minute: That was close! Costa Rica could have scored there. Gonzalez fails to shoot on the goal with his wide header. 

8 minute: Serbia's Kolarov hits an ambitious shot way past the Costa Rican target. 

5 minute: What a start to the match! Costa Rica have already had two corners. 

Lineups

Costa Rica XI: Navas, Gamboa, Gonzalez, Acosta, Durate, Calvo, Venegas, Guzman, Borges, Ruiz, Urena.

Serbia XI:  Stojkovic, Ivanovic, Milenkovic, Tosic, Kolarov, Milivojevic, Matic, Milinkovic-Savic, Tadic, Mitrovic, Ljajic.

Costa Rica full squad:

Goalkeepers: Keylor Navas (Real Madrid/ESP), Patrick Pemberton (Alajuelense), Leonel Moreira (Herediano)

Defenders: Cristian Gamboa (Celtic/SCO), Ian Smith (Norrkoping/SWE), Ronald Matarrita (New York City FC/USA), Bryan Oviedo (Sunderland/ENG), Oscar Duarte (Espanyol/ESP), Giancarlo Gonzalez (Bologna/ITA), Francisco Calvo (Minnesota United/USA), Kendall Waston (Vancouver Whitecaps/USA), Johnny Acosta (Rionegro Aguilas/COL)

Midfielders: David Guzman (Portland Timbers/USA), Yeltsin Tejeda (Lausanne/SUI), Celso Borges (Deportivo La Coruna/ESP), Randall Azofeifa (Herediano), Rodney Wallace (New York City FC/USA), Cristian Bolanos (Saprissa) Bryan Ruiz (Sporting Lisbon/POR)

Forwards: Daniel Colindres (Saprissa), Joel Campbell (Real Betis/ESP), Johan Venegas (Saprissa), Marco Urena (Los Angeles FC/USA)

Serbia full squad:

Goalkeepers: Vladimir Stojkovic (Partizan Belgrade), Predrag Rajkovic (Maccabi Tel Aviv/ISR), Marko Dmitrovic (Eibar/ESP)

Defenders: Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma/ITA), Antonio Rukavina (Villarreal/ESP), Milan Rodic (Red Star Belgrade), Branislav Ivanovic (Zenit Saint Petersburg/RUS), Uros Spajic (Anderlecht/BEL), Milos Veljkovic (Werder Bremen/GER), Dusko Tosic (Besiktas/TUR), Nikola Milenkovic (Fiorentina/ITA)

Midfielders: Nemanja Matic (Manchester United/ENG), Luka Milivojevic (Crystal Palace/ENG), Marko Grujic (Cardiff City/ENG), Dusan Tadic (Southampton/ENG), Andrija Zivkovic (Benfica/POR), Filip Kostic (Hamburg/GER), Nemanja Radonjic (Red Star Belgrade), Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (Lazio/ITA), Adem Ljajic (Torino/ITA)

Forwards: Aleksandar Mitrovic (Fulham/ENG), Aleksandar Prijovic (PAOK Thessaloniki/GRE), Luka Jovic (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER)