World Cup 2022: Switzerland after a dream goal in the round of 16 – Brazil group winners

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Remo Freuler celebrates his goal to 3:2

Photo: SUHAIB SALEM / REUTERS

Brazil and Switzerland complete the Round of 16 World Cup in Qatar.

The already qualified Brazilians lost to Cameroon with a B-Elf 0:1 (0:0) and are still group winners, Switzerland fought a breathless duel with Serbia for the last place among the top 16 and won 3:2 (2:2 ).

In the round of 16, Brazil will meet South Korea on Monday (8 p.m.), which surprisingly prevailed in Group H.

Switzerland, who made it into a World Cup round of 16 for the third time in a row after 2014 and 2018, will face Portugal on Tuesday (8 p.m.).

Serbia and Switzerland met in the group stage of the World Cup in 2018.

Switzerland prevailed in Russia at the time, in an emotional duel the Swiss Xherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka provoked with the double-headed eagle celebration.

Four years later, Shaqiri should be the center of attention again, but for sporting reasons: In the 20th minute, the Swiss veteran opened a goal festival from both sides with a deflected shot (20th minute).

Aleksandar Mitrović equalized with a challenging header from full run (26'), Dušan Vlahović used Remo Freuler's loss of possession and the subsequent disorder in the Swiss defense to temporarily turn the game around.

At that moment, Serbia would have gone further, but Switzerland came back: Breel Embolo equalized before the break (44th).

The highlight of the game followed after the change of sides, the Swiss 3:2: Rubén Vargas passed a chip ball from Shaqiri from the air with his hoe to Freuler, who made up for his mistake from the first half and scored a direct shot to give Switzerland the lead again .

Serbia now needed two goals and had more chances in a game that was evenly matched, but couldn't turn the game around.

In a heated final phase, the Swiss Denis Zakaria was lucky that a suggested headbutt didn't result in a card.

Brazil had already qualified for the round of 16 before the game against Cameroon, so coach Tite made some changes to his team.

Compared to the 1-0 win against Switzerland, there were nine new players in the starting line-up – and they still managed to run the ball well.

After a cross from Fred, Gabriel Martinelli headed powerfully on goal and forced Cameroon keeper Devis Epassy to make a brilliant save (14').

Nothing came from Cameroon, who needed a win to progress.

Instead, the Brazilians played their way through again and again without becoming really dangerous.

Dani Alves, who started the tournament for the first time and became Brazil's oldest World Cup player in history at 39, kept trying direct free-kicks but either stuck or shot too high.

Cameroon only posed a threat just before half-time when Bryan Mbeumo headed in on goal from close range, but was denied by Brazil keeper Ederson, who made a strong save (45' + 1').

In the second half came too little from Cameroon, only keeper Epassy was able to distinguish himself again and again and steered a curl from Martinelli just over the crossbar with one hand (57th).

The substitute didn't notice that Epassy was only in goal because coach Rigobert Song had suspended regular goalkeeper André Onana.

In injury time, Vincent Aboubakar scored Cameroon's winning goal with a header in injury time, it was Cameroon's first successful offensive action of the second half.

When the goal was celebrated, Aboubakar took off his jersey and was sent off with a yellow card (90'+3').

The goal is not enough for the Africans to reach the round of 16.

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