Serbian national team started the World Cup exactly as they wanted. Serbs defeated Costa Rica 1-0 in the E group opener and earned the first three points.
At least temporarily, Serbia climbed to the top spot of the E group, as Brazil and Switzerland have not played their matches yet.
In the first half, Serbia controlled the game. Although Costa Rica had much more ball possession, they made more shots.
Both teams had a real chance to score in the first 45 minutes, but neither managed to do so, and they went into halftime with a tied score.
However, right after the break, in the 50th minute, Serbia could take the lead. Aleksandar Mitrovic found himself alone against the Costa Rican goalkeeper, but Keylor Navas guessed where the shot would go and kept his goal safe.
Nevertheless, the dry spell for goals did not last long. Aleksandar Kolarov scored a fantastic penalty in the 56th minute to put Serbia ahead 1-0.
The Serbian team continued to look much more dangerous. They threatened the opponent's goal, but Navas was always ready to save his team.
At the end of the match, Serbia closed off their own goal and handed the initiative to Costa Rica, who were looking for an equalizer. However, they failed to create any dangerous opportunities, and Serbia secured the victory.
It all culminated in an incident between Serbian player Nemanja Matic and one of the Costa Rican coaches. Matic tried to take the ball from the coach's hands, and the situation ended with a slight scuffle.
Costa Rica 0-1 Serbia
56' [0-1] A. Kolarov
The first @Budweiser #ManoftheMatch of the day #WorldCup #CRCSRB
