Late goal rescues point for Serbia and condemns Switzerland to relegation
After taking one point from their first four matches, Switzerland came into the contest knowing that only a win would keep their survival hopes alive.
Edimilson Fernandes attempted to lead Switzerland’s search for the all-important opener, with his early strike forcing Dorde Petrovic to tip over the crossbar.
Fernandes then popped up on the right side of the box to pick out Noah Okafor, who could only divert the ball onto the frame of Petrovic’s goal.
Despite showing great intent in the first period, Switzerland would have been relieved to go into the break on level terms after Eray Comert was forced to make a last-ditch block to thwart Dusan Vlahovic in the closing stages of the half.
Comert nearly went from hero to zero when he gave away a penalty inside the opening 10 minutes of the second period. Fortunately for the Switzerland defender, Gregor Kobel was on hand to make a superb stop with his left boot to deny Aleksandar Mitrovic from 12 yards.
Inspired by his opposite number, Petrovic then pulled off an impressive save of his own, showcasing his quick reactions to thwart Zeki Amdouni from close range.
As the contest entered the final 20 minutes, it was Vlahovic’s turn to go close, with the Juventus striker creating the space to curl the ball agonisingly wide of the far post.
The wait for a goal finally came to an end in the 78th minute when Amdouni thumped an unstoppable strike past Petrovic after being teed up by Remo Freuler’s neat header.
With Serbia on the ropes, Fernandes threatened to double Switzerland’s advantage, only to see his right-foot strike crash against the upright.
Fernandes was ultimately made to rue that miss when Serbia’s Aleksa Terzic netted a dramatic 88th-minute equaliser. The 25-year-old kept his composure to slot past Kobel following a devastating counter-attack.
As a result of the draw, Switzerland will drop down to League B, while Serbia remain in the hunt for a top-two spot, knowing that a win against Denmark will see them advance to the quarter-finals.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Zeki Amdouni (Switzerland)
