World Cup: Serbia edge out Costa Rica in Group E opener

Samara (Russia)  :   Aleksandar Kolarov curled in a superb freekick as Serbia beat Costa Rica 1-0 in a rather listless Group E match of the FIFA World Cup here on Sunday.

Kolarov's 56th minute attempt was one of the few notable moments of a match that saw both teams struggle to create scoring chances.

With three points in their kitty from the match of the group, Serbia will aim to improve their form ahead of sterner tests against Brazil and Switzerland.

Serbia, who enjoyed a distinct height advantage, were too reliant on the long ball approach, but lack of creativity upfront prevented them from exploiting their dominance in the air.

The Serbian defence, however, was well organised and offered the Costs Rican forwards very little space to exploit.