These are four things we learnt from the game.

Match stats

1. Winning feeling

Serbia seems to be getting used to winning at the World Cup as the 1-0 win over Costa Rica was their second in their last three games in the competition.

Before then, they lost five consecutive World Cup games between 1998 and 2010.

2. Rare winning start

The 1-0 win over Costa Rica was Serbia’s first victory in their opening game of a World Cup tournament since 1998 when they did so as Yugoslavia against Iran.

3. Good record against CONCACAF countries

Serbia have now won all four of their World Cup games against teams from the CONCACAF region. The first three came as Yugoslavia between 1950 and 1998.

4. Freekicks

Kolarov’s goal was the third scored from a direct free-kick in World Cup 2018. Already, that's as many as the entirety of the 2014 World Cup.