The biggest sporting event in the world continues with the Group G Brazil v Serbia clash that sees the best saved for last, as the tournament favourites finish off the first round of group stage in a tricky fixture v Serbia.
With so many games and so little time, our Group G Brazil v Serbia Match Centre tries to sum it all up as quickly as possible before and after the game and with just a hint of cynicism. If you wanted professional and/or good you’d be on the BBC website, not here. Essentially, we watch and follow the game so you don’t have to.
With answers to the key questions prior to the match and our Minutes that Mattered summary and stats post game, it is a real Who Cares guide to the 2022 World Cup for the person on the go.
Enjoy the Group G Brazil v Serbia Match Centre.
KICKOFF – THURSDAY 24TH NOV – 22:00 (QATAR) 19:00 (UK) 06:00 (AEDT)
Group G Brazil v Serbia Match Review
Brazil have overcome a determined first half performance from Serbia to win 2-0 courtesy of two goals from Richarlison. Importantly it is a winning start for Brazil as they try and avoid the banana skins left for some of the other favourites.
Minutes that Mattered
Welcome to the briefest of match summaries, like a minute by minute you find on professional websites except one that has only the minutes that matter. All wheat, no chaff.
And if the below isn’t enough, for those in Australia you can catch up via the SBS World Cup on Demand.
5′ Min After a bright enough start to the game from both sides, the first yellow card is handed out to Serbian defender Strahinja Pavlović for kiking Neymar basically. Poor Neymar, you know he’s gonna get a few more of those before the night is over. He loses his shirt after a tackle a minute or so later.
12′ Min This is good, end to end stuff and Serbia are giving it to Brazil too, not just sitting back and waiting for something to happen, in Brazil’s face with every ball. And Brazil do look sharp with the ball. Serjej Milinkovic-Savic looks particularly in the mood for Serbia.
18′ Min First Klinsmann Trophy nomination for the match for Neymar, who gives it a few barrel rolls for the fans after minimal contact. For those playing and betting at home, don’t forget about the GurglerBet World Cup Specials, one of which inv0lves Neymar and his rolling.
27′ Min Still plenty happening but without anything actually happening if that makes sense. Both sides are pressing and playing good football, but the actual shots and half chances are limited. Both defences are solid as. Although, it would be remiss of us to not mention the set play from Brazil in the 27th minute, which we hope was just executed poorly and not planned, as crossing the ball over everyone to over the touch line doesn’t seem like an avenue for a plethora of goals.
41′ Min Half chance for Brazil sorted out by the Serbian defence. They are giving Brazil absolutely nothing. Some big diving tackles too, which is a good short term strategy, but it’ll only take one of those to go wrong and they’re down to 10 players.
45′ Min An indication of the free-flowing nature of the match so far, there’s just one minute of added time.
HALF TIME – BRAZIL 0 SERBIA 0
46′ Min Maybe a sign of better things to come for the second half, but Brazil have a shot on target within the first 30 seconds of the half.
48′ Min Free kick right on the edge of the penalty box for Brazil. Neymar tried his best to make it into the box with an almighty superman dive. Neymar’s free kick comes off the wall. Then there’s a corner, then there isn’t. Basically the football equivalent of trailing off while speaking.
53′ Min It’s a different half, not only because it is after half time, but Brazil are a lot more dominant this half. With most of the ball and territory. They are camped inside the Serbian half and getting half chances galore. Neymar misses one. Hopefully he gets one soon. For the fantasy team that is.
57′ Min Corner for Serbia, their first real chance of the second half. It would have been unjust, and a little funny if Serbia had of scored with the one chance so far. For the record they didn’t.
59′ Min Thiago Silva blasts a shot from well outside the penalty area, and the ball beats the keeper but not the post. We’re surprised the thing is still upright. Of course the follow up shot from Vinícius Júnior went well wide and high of the posts.
62′ Min GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL FOR BRAZIL
They finally break through the Serbian defence and it is Richarlison who scores. The play is set up with Neymar dribbling and dancing in the penalty area before getting the ball to Vinícius Júnior who blasts a shot at the goal that the keeper can only block and the rebound goes to a waiting Richarlison who scores from close range.
BRAZIL 1 SERBIA 0
64′ Min Another Kilsmann Trophy nomination for Serbia’s Tadic, who is brushed on the face in an aerial duel and collapses like he has been knifed.
67′ Min Brazil are starting to cook now. Another half chance for Brazil as they break towards the Serbian goal, but Neymar slipped over (and of course snuck in a little injury dance) and Vinícius Júnior’s shot was woeful.
69′ Min Corner for Serbia, and this nearly became a goal for Serbia. A game of headed volleyball ensued for a while until the ball rolled out of the penalty box and then came the predictable follow up shot by a loose Serbian player went 10 metres over the crossbar.
72′ Min GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL FOR BRAZIL
That’s goal number two for player and team, and don’t they love it with a some improv dancing in the corner. Vinícius Júnior goes for a run down the left and he fires a cross to a somehow unmarked Richarlison in the middle of the penalty area, and his trap sees the ball rise up, so Richarlison simply twists himself and then gets away a half bicycle-half karate kick which flies into the net. It’s been coming.
BRAZIL 2 SERBIA 0
79′ Min To put Richarlison’s achievements in context, he has been substituted by Jesus. For the record, that is a pun based comment, no one has been replaced by the actual Jesus. That we know of.
80′ Min Brazil hit the woodwork again. They are really dominating now. It was Thiago Silva again. He currently has two shots that have gone into the woodwork. Which is two more shots than Costa Rica managed as a team. A minute later the Serbian keeper is forced into another save. Brazil on top now, and it is just the margin we are looking at now.
90′ Min Brazil continue to pepper the Serbian goal with shots, not all of them good. But they have seven minutes of additional time to score another. They don’t and a 2-0 win will do for now.
Final Score
BRAZIL 2
Richarlison 62′ Richarlison 72′
SERBIA 0
HT 0-0
Player of the Match
Neymar, Richarlison or Thiago Silva
Group G Brazil v Serbia Match Stats
Group G Brazil v Serbia Starting Teams
BRAZIL (4-2-3-1)
1 Alisson
2 Danilo
4 Marquinhos
3 Thiago Silva
6 Lobo Silva
5 Casemiro
7 Tolentino Coelho de Lima
11 Raphinha
10 Neymar
20 Vinícius Júnior
9 Richarlison
SERBIA (3-5-1-1)
23 V Milinkovic-Savic
5 Veljkovic
4 Milenkovic
2 Pavlovic
14 Zivkovic
16 Lukic
8 Gudelj
20 S Milinkovic-Savic
25 Mladenovic
10 Tadic
9 Mitrovic
Group G Brazil v Serbia Match Preview
Why should you care?
It’s Brazil, what more do you need. And they’ve named a squad packed full of attacking players, so this is the side for any football side to get into. Serbia too, are a decent international side, so the World Cup has saved the best for the last game of the first round of group stage fixtures. Just like they saved the worst to kick it all off.
We guess this match takes on more importance given the shock losses of other heavyweights Argentina and Germany in consecutive nights.
Who should you care about?
Neymar is the obvious choice, one of the big chances for the golden boot for most goals, and the golden Klinsmann for most spectacular post tackle performance.
But it’s not just Neymar, there’s so many great attackers in the Brazil line up. We really liked Raphinha’s work in the Premier League for Leeds United before his move to Barcelona which hasn’t quite worked out. But his five goals in 11 games for Brazil does.
And we have talking up Bruno Guimarães all season for Newcastle, so why not for a World Cup.
Sergej Milinković-Savić has been a name chased by many big European clubs, even before the last World Cup in 2018, but he has remained at Lazio but continued to shine. Here’s another chance to shine on the world stage and worth your attention.
Full 2022 World Cup Squads & Stats
Is there a barely interesting fact?
Brazil have won both of their games v Serbia and yet to concede a goal.
Brazil’s win v Serbia at the last World Cup was their only win in three games v European teams. They drew one and lost the other.
Brazil (74%) had the best winning % in the four and a bit seasons since the last World Cup of the teams at this year’s World Cup. Along with Argentina, they have the best winning % for 2022 (88%).
Who will win?
Brazil 3 Serbia 1
Full 2022 World Cup Predictions
