Serbia vs Switzerland: Creative pair set for key role in Group E encounter

The key men in today’s Group E meeting between Serbia and Switzerland is likely to be those that operate behind the striker. Both teams favour a 4-2-3-1 setup, which means the creative personnel deployed behind the forward are vital. Both Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Xherdan Shaqiri are tasked with providing the chances and the duo excelled in their opening matches against Costa Rica and Brazil, respectively. 

Milinkovic-Savic’s WhoScored.com rating of 7.50 was bettered only by Aleksandar Kolarov (7.73) in Serbia’s 1-0 win over Costa Rica, while by chance, Shaqiri also earned a WhoScored.com rating of 7.50 for his role in the 1-1 draw with Brazil, that better than any other Switzerland player. The Stoke man provided the assist for Steven Zuber’s towering header in the stalemate and he’ll look to have a similar influence against Serbia today. 

It’s a crunch clash between two creative stars who are rumoured to be on the radars of numerous Premier League teams. Milinkovic-Savic is supposedly set for a €100m move to England this summer, while Shaqiri, who was relegated with Stoke, is primed to make an immediate return to England’s top tier with either Liverpool or Tottenham. 

The pair provided three key passes in their respective international outings last Sunday and both Serbia and Switzerland will need their creative forces to be on top of their game once more. Milinkovic-Savic may start as a more direct number 10, but Shaqiri, who is expected to start from the right, has the freedom to drift infield and provide the attacking thrust behind the lone striker. 

Either way, both players have a key role to play when Serbia face Switzerland this evening in what promises to be a close encounter in Kaliningrad. Indeed, it could prove to be that a spark of magic from Milinkovic-Savic or Shaqiri is the difference between one point and three for Serbia and Switzerland, respectively.