Yann Sommer’s injury-time own goal gave Costa Rica their first part of the tournament, but Switzerland qualified safely for the last 16<doc-sep>Vladimir Petkovic will be hoping his side can get the result they need to reach the knockout stages of the World Cup in Russia Switzerland can be happy after securing qualification from Group E in second position, behind Brazil by two points. The Swiss will have a meeting with Sweden in the first knockout stage, as Janne Andersson’s side topped Group F, while Costa Rica head home after finishing last in the group with a single point. Vladimir Petkovic will be forced to change his squad for their next match, however, as Fabian Schar and Stephan Lichtsteiner picked up bookings which will suspend them for their first knockout match. What a breathless end to the match as Yann Sommer’s own goal after a Bryan Ruiz penalty hit the woodwork equalised for Costa Rica in the 93rd minute after Josip Drmic had retaken the lead for Switzerland two minutes from time. It was a brilliant match played by Los Ticos who fought valiantly until the very end and gave their fans two goals to cheer about despite having their fate sealed before the match. FULL TIME: Switzerland 2-2 Costa Rica. A hectic last few minutes leaves each team taking a point each. VAR involved again. Switzerland progress alongside Brazil but Costa Rica can hold their heads high with the hearty performances they have put in. 90+3 Mins: AN OWN GOAL FROM THE PENALTY MAKES IT 2-2! A slightly odd penalty as the shot from Bryan Ruiz strikes the underside of the crossbar before hitting Yann Sommer’s back and nesting into the back of the Switzerland goal! What an incredible final few minutes of this match! It officially goes down as a Yann Sommer own goal, though the keeper knew very little about the rebound as his back was turned. 90+3 Mins: PENALTY TO COSTA RICA! Denis Zakaria is deemed to have pushed Joel Campbell in the penalty area, and Los Ticos do eventually get their penalty! It’s Bryan Ruiz to strike it… 90+1 Mins: Two changes for Costa Rica now as Gamboa is replaced by Smith and David Guzman is replaced by Randall Azofeifa i 90 Mins: Kendall Waston is shown a yellow card for dissent after the referee chose to not award a penalty. 90 Mins: Bryan Ruiz takes a tumble in the penalty area after being sandwiched in between Michael Lang and Rodriguez. The Costa Rica players are up in arms calling for a penalty to be called, but upon checking with VAR, it appears that Ruiz was stood in an offside position when receiving the ball. The referee ultimately decides to award no penalty, instead telling Sommer to restart play from a free-kick. 88 Mins: JOSIP DRMIC MAKES IT 2-1 FOR SWITZERLAND! Dzemaili nutmegs a Costa Rica midfielder and spreads the ball out to the right-hand side for Denis Zakaria. Zakaria looks up and fires in a low cross for Drmic who smashes his first-time effort past Navas and into the goal! 85 Mins: The referee blows play dead during a Costa Rica attack after a dangerous push in the back of Stephan Lichtsteiner by Rodney Wallace. It looks so though the two collided heads as well, but neither of them show signs of damage – and the match will continue from a Sommer free-kick. 83 Mins: Fabian Schar picks up a yellow card after pulling back Joel Campbell who is constantly threatening the Switzerland defence. That caution means that, as with Lichtsteiner, Schar will miss his side’s next game. 81 Mins: Xherdan Shaqiri’s match is over as Michael Lang replaces the Stoke City attacker. Shaqiri is another Swiss player who is one booking away from a suspension – so that is good foresight by Petkovic 81 Mins: Rodney Wallace will get a run out in the last 10 minutes as Daniel Colindres – who has had a tremendous game – exits the pitch in Costa Rica’s first substitution of the match. 79 Mins: Campbell does everything but score from the counter! A Switzerland corner is intercepted by Campbell who runs the length of the pitch, evading a number of defenders in the process, and makes his way into the penalty area before being crowded out. Still holding onto it, Campbell exits the box and sends a pass towards Borges who hammers a first-time shot towards goal, but Sommer saves it smartly. 77 Mins: EMBOLO SHOULD HAVE STRUCK IT! Rodriguez feathers a cross into the penalty area where Embolo waits in complete and total isolation. The delivery is good but the winger opts to nod it down for Dzemaili instead of striking it himself – much in the same fashion as Switzerland’s goal. Costa Rica defenders recover however and the follow-up effort is charged down and blocked. 75 Mins: Denis Zakaria picks up a yellow card after tugging back Cristian Gamboa who was entering the Swiss half of the pitch at lightening pace on a counter-attack. 74 Mins: Bryan Oviedo is called for a foul on Shaqiri – not the first time the full-back has been called for an infringement in this match. Vladimir Petkovic is furious on the sideline as the referee refuses to pull out his cards – a fact Shaqiri cannot believe. STAT: Costa Rica are winless in their last five World Cup matches (W0 D3 L2), failing to score in four of those. 70 Mins: The corner-kick runs all the way through the penalty area as the set-piece flies over the mess of bodies in the centre and just over Celso Borges. Yann Sommer flaps at the delivery but luckily for him, no Costa Rica player was in a position to attack the relatively good delivery. 69 Mins: Mario Gavranovic’s match is over as Vladimir Petkovic elects to replace him with Josip Drmic. Gavranovic has had a very underwhelming day – contributing very little in attack. 68 Mins: Oviedo teases a ball into the box from the left looking for Joel Campbell but Fabian Schar is there to head it out of danger and away for a Costa Rica corner-kick. 66 Mins: Bryan Ruiz retains possession after riding a number of challenges from opposing defenders but sends his final ball too far for Cristian Gamboa to latch on to and Switzerland escape the danger with a throw-in deep in their own half. 64 Mins: Celso Borges hits a speculative volley after winning the possession following a Switzerland throw-in. With the ball bouncing and the midfielder closer to his half than the goal, he confidently hammers his effort towards goal, missing the net on the far side by some distance. 62 Mins: Petkovic, even after conceding the equaliser is no doubt keeping one eye on the next fixture, as Valon Behrami’s removal is surely a result of the midfielder being one caution away from a suspension. With Stephan Lichtsteiner already unavailable for their first knockout fixture, the manager will surely take necessary precautions to ensure he doesn’t suffer further casualties. 60 Mins: Valon Behrami is being removed in Switzerland’s first substitution of the match. On in his place is Denis Zakaria. STAT: Switzerland and Costa Rica are meeting for the third time and the first time at a major tournament – both nations have recorded one win each. 56 Mins: COSTA RICA HAVE THEIR GOAL AND IT’S 1-1! The Costa Rica fans and players are in ecstasy as Kendall Waston nods in the equaliser from a corner-kick after Manuel Akanji failed to mark his man properly. The defender who did not start the previous game has made amends for his earlier miss with a brilliant header! 55 Mins: Costa Rica number nine nods it down for Oviedo who attempts an audacious scissor-kick which balloons hopelessly high of Sommer’s goal. 53 Mins: Shaqiri shows his class with a brilliant ball knocked through two Costa Rica defenders for Breel Embolo who pounces on it in the penalty area. The young winger turns and fires a shot from a narrow angle which Keylor Navas gets his hands. The Real Madrid goalkeeper also does well to keep the ball in play, saving his side from having to defend a corner. 51 Mins: Colindres sweeps a cross into the penalty area searching for Campbell but the ball stays in the air for too long and goes out for a goal-kick before Bryan Oviedo could meet it on the right flank. 49 Mins: Rodriguez hammers a volleyed effort towards goal from a central position just outside the penalty area. The left-back gets plenty of dip and swerve on the effort but he guides it high and wide of Keylor Navas. 47 Mins: Bryan Oviedo is given a talking to by the referee after fouling Shaqiri on the right wing. It’s Shaqiri himself who swings in the free-kick, but the delivery is low and unable to beat the first Costa Rica defender who nods it away. 46 Mins: Costa Rica get their last 45 minutes of World Cup 2018 underway from the kick-off, down by a single goal. Costa Rica have not played like a side who are secure in their fate of an early exit. They are pressing Switzerland and causing a number of turnovers in midfield. Any time they foil an opposition attack, they are very quick to move forward and cause disarray on the counter-attack. Though Petkovic’s side look a certainty to get the result from this position, it would not be shocking to see Bryan Ruiz and company make life difficult for Yann Sommer in the second period. Switzerland go into the half with a 1-0 lead over Costa Rica after a Blerim Dzemaili thunderbolt 31 minutes into the match. It could be so much different for Los Ticos had Daniel Colindres’ curled effort bounced in after he struck the crossbar from considerable distance. Perhaps an early Costa Rica goal was necessary for the match, as Switzerland have looked very comfortable to keep the ball in defence, passing it between Fabian Schar and Manuel Akanji. With a draw good enough for Petkovic’s side to advance – it seems apparent that that is their aim, much to the dismay of the fans in the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium who are making their disdain heard. HALF TIME: Switzerland 1-0 Costa Rica 44 Mins: Switzerland look likely to take this lead into half time, which should please manager Vladimir Petkovic. Though his side have not been entertaining or lively today, they are doing what they came to do - surely the mark of a good side. 42 Mins: Colindres sends the ball across the penalty area for Borges after Campbell initiates a counter-attack, but the pass is slightly too long for the tired central midfielder and Borges is unable to take the opportunity as it rolls harmlessly behind for a Sommer goal-kick. 40 Mins: That earlier booking for Stephan Lichtsteiner is a costly one, as he has accumulated too many cards and will be unavailable to feature in Switzerland’s first knockout match. 38 Mins: The free-kick is swung in beautifully by David Guzman towards the back post for Waston who arrives sliding in a fraction of a second too late, as the ball just goes out for a goal-kick before the centre-back could get there. 37 Mins: Daniel Colindres wins a free-kick in midfield after a tackle from Valon Behrami – and captain Stephan Lichtsteiner is booked for dissent as the right-back appears very unhappy with the decision. 35 Mins: Lichtsteiner puts the ball out of play as Xherdan Shaqiri has stayed down after a challenge from Kendall Waston in an off-the-ball incident. The creative player finally gets to his feet, but he is limping noticeably and grabbing his left hamstring. There was no malice from Waston however, and the referee decides not to take action against the defender. 33 Mins: Against the run of play it has to be said, Switzerland have somehow managed to take the lead just after the half-hour mark. They have not looked convincing, but after riding their luck early – they are now in a commanding position to qualify from Group E. 30 Mins: GOAL! Blerim Demaili hammers it into the back of the net!<doc-sep>
Mitch Freeley You can watch the stream of Switzerland Vs Costa Rica Live & Exclusive on beIN SPORTS CONNECT. Match Report Switzerland booked their spot in the last 16 of the World Cup courtesy of a 2-2 draw with Costa Rica in Nizhny Novgorod on Wednesday. Brazil's win over Serbia in the night's other Group E game means that Vladimir Petkovic's side finish second in the pool and will take on Sweden in St Petersburg on Tuesday. Switzerland – whose last-gasp win over Serbia in their second game set them up for progression to the knockout stages – were second best for large periods against their already eliminated opponents, but did take the lead just after the half-hour mark. Blerim Dzemaili took advantage of generous marking to power home from close range before Kendall Waston pulled Costa Rica level shortly after the interval. Substitute Josip Drmic thought he had secured all three points for Switzerland with a cool 88th-minute finish before Bryan Ruiz's penalty cannoned off Yann Sommer for an unfortunate own goal to ensure a share of the spoils. Switzerland's attentions now turn to their crunch clash with Janne Andersson's side, while Costa Rica are left to reflect on a campaign that fell well short of their magical run to the quarter-finals in 2014. Live Updates Goals/Highlights Watson scores for Costa Rica! 31 - Blerim Dzemaili (Switzerland) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Breel Embolo with a headed pass. Preview Switzerland only needs a draw against already-eliminated Costa Rica to guarantee their place in the round of sixteen. Confidence will be high in the Switzerland camp, following they're come from behind 2-1 victory over Serbia. Although the victory to kick-start the European sides World Cup campaign was not without controversy. With stars Granit Xhaka & Xherdan Shaqiri both being fined by FIFA for their political goal celebrations. A reference to both players ethnic –Albanian background. Both players are expected to start against Costa Rica, and again will have a crucial role if Serbia is to come away with a vital point. Shaqiri, in particular, looked impressive against Serbia and the Stoke City player will likely start on the wing in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Another impressive performance from the diminutive winger could get the attention of some of Europe’s biggest club sides. Switzerland Predicted team Sommer; Lichtsteiner, Schar, Akanji, Rodriguez; Behrami, Xhaka; Shaqiri, Dzemaili, Zuber; Seferovic How to watch Online- beIN SPORTS CONNECT TV Channel- MAX HD3 Kick-off- 21:00 Stadium-Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod As for Costa Rica, they have nothing to play for having lost both their previous group games to Serbia & Brazil. It’s been a disappointing tournament for the 2014 quarter-finalists with their again squad exposed in their group games. A radical overhaul of players is needed if the Central American country is to qualify for Qatar 2022. Costa Rica is winless against their last four European opponents at the World Cup, and expect that run to continue on Wednesday evening. It’s likely to be the last major international tournament for former Fulham man Bryan Ruiz, and the playmaker will be Costa Rica’s man to watch against Switzerland. Costa Rica Predicted Team Navas; Gonzales, Acosta, Duarte;Gamboa, Tejeda, Bolanos, Oviedo; Venegas; Ruiz; Urena It promises to be a fascinating encounter as Switzerland look to book their place in the round of sixteen against Costa Rica. Watch the Live & Exclusive stream of the game on MAX HD3 & beIN SPORTS CONNECT.