Serbia kicked off their World Cup campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Costa Rica, with Aleksandar Kolarov’s superb free-kick leading them to victory.

It was a good team performance from the Serbs as they boosted their chances of qualifying from the group stages.

Here’s how the players rated.

STARTING XI

Vladimir Stojkovic 7 – Didn’t have any tough saves to make, but was assured when called upon and displayed good command of his defence.

Branislav Ivanovic 8 – A throwback display from the former Chelsea right-back, proving a tough, reliable presence in defence and a marauding force in attack.

Nikola Milenkovic 6 – Shaky at times in the centre of Serbia’s defence, but when called upon to repel a dangerous attack, the Fiorentina man was up to the task.

Dusko Tosic 5 – Gave the ball away cheaply to set up one of Costa Rica’s best chances, and looked a little overwhelmed at times.

Aleksandar Kolarov 9 – Provided the game’s standout moment, with his stunning free-kick giving Serbia the win.

Luka Milivojevic 6 – Was tidy in possession and provided some telling passes, although nothing to write home about.

Nemanja Matic 5 – Did little to impact the game until the very end, when he was involved in a ferocious bust-up with the Costa Rica bench.

Dusan Tadic 7 – Showed the inventiveness and flair that he has on occasion displayed for Southampton, although the end product could have been better.

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic 9 – It can be hard for a player to come into a tournament like the World Cup with a lot of hype and justify it. Savic made light of the burden. Costa Rica had no answer for him.

Adem Ljajic 6 – Made little impression on the game, despite bearing plenty of attacking responsibility. He’ll have to improve against Switzerland’s tough defence.

Aleksandar Mitrovic 6 – A menacing presence, but passed up two excellent chances to score. On another day, Serbia may pay for him not being clinical enough.

SUBSTITUTES

Filip Kostic 5 – Missed a couple of presentable chances to double Serbia’s lead and make the game more comfortable.

Antonio Rukavina 6 – Had little impact after coming on late in the game.

Aleksandar Prijovic 6 – Provided one of the game’s biggest flashpoints, with VAR consulted to determine whether the Serb deserved a red card for a clash in the box. Fortunately, he was only awarded a yellow.