With the last fixtures in each group being played this week. The World Cup games are getting a bit more exciting. All the trash teams like Egypt (no offence) who have unnecessarily taken up 90 minutes of our time are being swept aside and the teams we expected to progress are advancing to the round of 16. Let’s review the last games in group E.

Group E

I had Brazil as my favourites to win the World Cup (I hope I didn’t just jinx my prediction by telling you that). This is because they had a very good qualifying campaign and because they are Brazil.

Switzerland have always been a tough team to play against. They beat Spain in their first game in the 2010 World Cup so I definitely wasn’t sleeping on them.  Serbia has a few good players but I didn’t expect much from them. I predicted Costa Rica would be the whipping boys of the group.

Switzerland 2-2 Costa Rica

Switzerland needed just a draw to secure their place to the last 16 while Costa Rica only had pride to play for because they, as I predicted, had zero points coming into this game.

Costa Rica played well in the first 20 minutes but Switzerland looked bored. The Swiss opened the scoring after 31 minutes then I switched the channel thinking that would be that.

I switched back to the game (by mistake) around the 80th minute and I found Costa Rica had equalised, I decided to continue watching… With two minutes of regulation to go Switzerland found another goal.  Costa Rica appealed for a penalty but the VAR gave them a big fat middle finger. They, however, got a penalty 2 minutes later which Bryan Ruiz converted with the help of the Swiss keepers back.

Switzerland have now progressed from the group stage in four of the last five World Cups in which they have appeared (also 1994, 2006 and 2014), only failing to do so at the 2010 tournament.

Serbia 0-2 Brazil

Like Switzerland, Brazil needed a draw to go through to the next round but Nigeria have taught us playing for a draw in the World Cup is a…

BIG FUCKING MISTAKE.

After from a couple one-on-one opportunities for Jesus, Brazil didn’t look menacing in the opening minutes. Serbia defence stood firm but a lapse in concentration put Paulinho through after a dink by Coutinho. The midfielder poked the bouncing ball past the advancing Serbia goalkeeper.

Serbia played with a bit more intent in the second half. They pressured the Brazilian defence they looked most likely to find the next goal. Tite, the Brazilian coach, subbed off Paulinho for more defensive-minded Fernandinho to control the midfield because Matic was running amok in centre of the field. The substitution worked Brazil managed to score another via a corner and that was the end of the game.

Brazil haven’t been at their best so far but they’re definitely growing into the tournament.