Serbia vs. Switzerland: Team News, Live Stream, TV Info for World Cup 2018

Serbia can effectively secure their spot in the 2018 FIFA World Cup knockout stages with a win over Group E opponents Switzerland on Friday, though they'll be on guard against a side that drew 1-1 with Brazil in their first outing.

The Swiss proved too stubborn a side for the Selecao to slay, but Serbia will hope to succeed where Brazil failed when they march out at the Kaliningrad Stadium and extend their advantage at the summit of Group E.

Aleksandar Kolarov wasn't the first captain to become a match-winner at this World Cup when his inch-perfect free-kick was curled home to lead Serbia to a 1-0 beating of Costa Rica in their opener.

But Switzerland promise to be another step up from the Central Americans, and Vladimir Petkovic's men can throw a major spanner in the Group E works if they win on Friday with a chance to take the perch themselves.

Read on for a preview of Friday's encounter between two of the big contenders in Group E, complete with live-stream information and the latest team news.

Date: Friday, June 22

Time: 8 p.m. local time/7 p.m. BST/2 p.m. ET

Venue: Saint Petersburg Stadium, Saint Petersburg

Live Stream: BBC iPlayer (UK), Fox Soccer Match Pass (U.S.), fuboTV (U.S.)

TV Info: BBC (UK)/Fox (U.S.)

Team News

Valon Behrami had a terrific game in the draw against Brazil but came off due to a thigh strain after 70 minutes. However, manager Petkovic said he'll be back in the XI on Friday, per Fox Sports: "We need him in the next couple of matches."

Similarly, Serbia chief Mladen Krstajic had no major concerns following the win over Costa Rica, and it looks as though any changes for the meeting with Serbia would be purely tactical.

Preview

Unexpected results have been a recurring theme in Russia so far this summer, and Switzerland's opening draw against Tite's Brazil was among the surprising, particularly after such a strong start from the Selecao in Rostov-on-Don.

Pretty it was not, but Serbia's upcoming opponent showed discipline, acute execution of a game plan and fortitude in the face of a World Cup favourite. Football writer Lars Pollmann recounted a bright start for UEFA teams at the competition:

Serbia were similarly staunch against Costa Rica but will need to improve if they're to make it two wins from two. Kolarov's direct free-kick winner was one of only three shots they had on target that day, per WhoScored.com, and striker Aleksandar Mitrovic was the only other of their players to test the opposing net.

Serbia at least appear to have the edge in style, however. Despite their labouring and slight minority of possession against Costa Rica, they looked slick for long stretches. Switzerland were faced with mightier opposition, yes, but were decidedly less attractive in dealing with Brazil:

Mitrovic had an array of chances miss the mark in his first outing that he'll need to tuck away against the Swiss if he's to ensure the starting spot remains his, and there's a potentially mouth-watering midfield battle in Kaliningrad.

Behrami courted major praise for his handling of Neymar on Sunday, keeping the Brazil icon quiet with apparent ease, and he takes on a creative talent of the highest calibre in Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. Tifo Football previously profiled the Lazio talent and what he brings to the field:

In what looked to be a fight for second in Group E, Serbia and Switzerland now have it all to play for, with the main question being who responds better to the pressure of a potential lead in the pool after two matches.