Cameroon and Serbia sign a bittersweet draw

Cameroon and Serbia sign a bittersweet draw

The Europeans made it 1-3, when Aboubakar woke the Africans from their lethargy; both teams trust their options to a last victory

   MADRID, 28 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Cameroon and Serbia signed a tie (3-3) on Monday in the second day of Group G that leaves both teams with a bittersweet taste, who will have to trust their options of advancing to the round of 16 to a victory on the third and final date of the group stage and wait to determine the goal difference.

Dragan Stojkovic's men proved to be a 'short fuse' team, with a very good version in the minutes before the break placing a definitive, a priori, 1-3. But too cold a character and the inability to sleep the game gave wings to a Cameroon led by substitute Vincent Aboubakar agitating his team, which had apparently 'resigned'.

The striker converted a goal and an assist in just three minutes to certify the final tie and place them third in the group with one point, the same as Serbia, which is fourth. The goalkeeper Onana could not be in the game, who left the concentration just before the start of the duel due to disagreements with the coach, Rigobert Song.

Serbia quickly took a step forward and made it clear that this Monday they were not going to respect the classic initial scoring minutes, alluding to their urgent need to score points to keep their World Cup dream alive. Aleksandar Mitrovic starred in the first for the 'White Eagles', with a powerful and placed shot that crashed into the right post of the African goal, after completing an effective wall to enter the area.

The Fulham striker was the most active in a game without much control from any group, with 'hits' for each of the sides. Thus, reaching the middle of the first half, Serbia had the clearest chance in the boots of their striker, when they sent out a rude gift from the Cameroonian defender almost in the small area. After a more electric start from the Balkans, Cameroon tried to shake the greater dominance of the Europeans with a couple of approaches from Nicolas N'Koulou and Pierre Kunde.

From the concessions of the Africans they went to those of the Serbs, and the 'Indomitable Lions' enjoyed a 'free' corner kick close to half an hour into the game that Kunde threw with a tight ball to open the can. N'Koulou combed the far post and his teammate at the back Jean-Charles Castelletto pushed the ball almost over the line, in a play poorly defended by the Serbs.

The Balkans tried to get even with approaches without danger, which were answered in their own area with a double shot from Kunde that went to the side. However, the tables reached the edge of the break without much effort from the Europeans. Dusan Tadic hung a ball with a lot of flight in a free kick on the front finding the head of the center-back Strahinja Pavlovic who finished off alone, impossible for Epassy.

This goal in the psychological zone boosted the 'White Eagles', who only two minutes later turned the adverse result around with the 1-2 score by Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. The talented midfielder shot with his left foot on the front, where he found the umpteenth gift of a 'dead' Cameroon and diluted in the final stretch of the first stake, when André Anguissa tried a meaningless 'hat'. The Europeans came out of their lethargy in time by taking advantage of the mistakes of some Africans who enjoyed an ephemeral joy.

Far from relaxing at the beginning of the second half, Serbia started plugged in, taking advantage of Cameroon's 'resignation', culminating a transition after a stolen shot by Tadic. This one, already inside the area, served behind the defensive passivity of the Africans, in a beautiful combination that Mitrovic finished off without a goalkeeper and with pleasure to make it 1-3 that made the awakening of Cameroon more than an obligation.

The entry of Vincent Aboubakar, who accompanied Choupo-Moting in attack in the last half hour of the game, changed the face of the 'Indomitable Lions', the protagonist of a good drive with a couple of cuts included. In fact, the '10' put the Africans back in time in the game with a goal (2-3), which the VAR kept in suspense due to a possible offside, of a beautiful bill, defining alone, calmly and 'spoon' against Milinkovic-Savic.

The reaction commanded by the revulsive Aboubakar materialized with the 3-3 draw close to minute 70. The one who was already the man of the match threw the game behind him and in one of the many unchecks behind his back, the striker made a good shot space freed up by Mitrovic in defense to gallop unopposed and serve the equalizer to Choupo-Moting. The Africans came out of their 'drowsiness' in the midst of Serbian despair, which saw how a party already, in principle, sentenced was escaping.

In the last 15 minutes, Mitrovic had two good chances to put Serbia back in front, first with a one-on-one in which Epassy became a giant, and then with a shot inside the area at first touch that went very close of the angle.

--RESULT: CAMEROON, 3 - SERBIA, 3 (1-2, at halftime).

CAMEROON: Epassy; Fai, Castelletto, Cowboy, Ear; Anguissa (Oum Gouet, 81 mins), Kunde (Ondoua, 67 mins), Hongla (Aboubakar, 55 mins); There is nothing like the sword (N'Koudou, min.81), Choupo-Moting and the Leader (Bassogog, min.67).

   SERBIA: V.Milinkovic-Savic; Milenkovic, Veljkovic (Babic, min.78), Pavlovic (Mitrovic, min.56); Zivkovic (Radonjic, min.78), Lukic, Maksimovic, Kostic; Tadic, S.Milinkovic-Savic (Grujic, min.78) y Mitrovic.

1-0, min.29: Castelletto.

1-1, min.46: Pavlovic.

   1-2, min.48: S.Milinkovic-Savic.

   1-3, min.53: Mitrovic.

2-3, min. 63: Aboubakar.

3-3, min.66: Choupo-Moting.

--REFEREE: Mohammed Abdulla Mohammed (UAE). He admonished N'Koulou (min.24) and Bassogog (min.30), for Cameroon, and Jovic (min.49) and Milenkovic (min.93), for Serbia.

--ESTADIO: Al Janoub Stadium.