Cameroon and Serbia share points after six-goal thriller

A contender for the best game of the 2022 World Cup so far ended with Cameroon and Serbia sharing six goals between them in a pulsating encounter on Monday. 

Two goals in first-half injury time saw Serbia enter the break 2-1 ahead, and a strike from Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic appeared to have earned his side three precious points in Group G. However, a fantastic comeback from Cameroon tied the scores at 3-3 and a draw was probably a fair result despite both sides having chances to win it. 

The Action: In the form of his life at club level, Aleksandar Mitrovic looked hungry to make his mark at this World Cup and he nearly opened his account at the tournament on 10 minutes when he chopped inside on his left foot in the Cameroon box, sending a defender skidding out of touch, and curled a sumptuous left-footed effort against the post. 

Serbia were looking threatening in the final third, but Rigobert Song's Indomitable Lions were also dangerous in patches and they took the lead on 29 minutes through Nantes defender Jean-Charles Castelleto. 

A lovely delivery from a corner out on the left was flicked on at the near post and Castelleto was on hand at the far post to tap home and give Cameroon the advantage. 

Ranked 22 places higher than their opponents, Serbia were on the front foot as the interval approached and they sent several dangerous crosses into the box without being able to find a white shirt - Dusan Tadic blazing one opportunity over the bar. 

However, the rhythm of the game was arguably playing into Cameroon's hands, and a quicksilver break away after 42 minutes saw Pierre Kunde latch onto a stray pass and fire into the legs of Serbia keeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic before scuffing his follow-up effort wide of the target. 

Cameroon were left rueing that missed chance when Serbia turned the game on its head with a two-goal salvo prior to the break. 

Dragan Stojkovic's side levelled in the first minute of added time when Strahinja Pavlovic buried a great header from a Tadic free-kick and the Serbs were in dreamland three minutes later when Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic planted a low shot past Cameroon stopper Devis Epassy from the edge of the area after a lay off from Andrija Zivkovic. 

Buzzing after their quickfire double, Serbia swarmed forward and Mitrovic again went close with a drive that was deflected just wide. 

After the interval, Serbia emerged the livelier of the two sides and they passed up a gilt-edged opportunity in the opening minutes of the second period when Milinkovic-Savic opted to shoot with Mitrovic in acres of space in the box. 

Hotshot Mitrovic didn't have to wait much longer for his goal, however, as on 53 minutes the Fulham forward finally added his name to the scoresheet. When it arrived, the goal was a beauty. Some lovely interplay on the left saw the ball worked into the box and Zivkovic rolled the ball into 'Mitro' for a simple finish. 

There was life left in the game yet, as Cameroon responded well to going further behind, the introduction of Vincent Aboubakar making an immediate difference. 

We could watch Vincent Aboubakar’s chip over and over again… 😳🔥pic.twitter.com/fCMntMwlxt

— SPORTbible (@sportbible) November 28, 2022

After 63 minutes, it was 3-2! Aboubakar sprang the offside trap, cut back onto his right foot and produced an absolutely sensational lobbed finish from just inside the box. Cameroon's joy was initially wiped out by an offside flag, but a subsequent VAR review showed that Aboubakar was on and the goal stood. 

Cameroon were on a roll and just two minutes later the scoreline was tied. 

Aboubakar was again central to the action; a break down the right again shred the Serbian defence and the Al Nassr forward put the ball on a plate for Jean-Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting to sweep home and level the score at 3-3. 

Cameroon swarmed forward in search of a winning goal, but Serbia retained their goal threat and that man Mitrovic almost put the European side back in front on 77 minutes when he was played in on goal, but saw his shot saved by Epassy. 

On the terraces, fans of the Indomitable Lions clasped their hands together in prayer, as a pulsating game pounded into the final 10 minutes - Aboubakar stinging the palms of Vanja Milinkovic-Savic with a long range bullet as Cameroon went in search of a winner. 

It was Serbia, however, who created the clearest-cut openings in the latter stages and Mitrovic was unsurprisingly central to proceedings: his first-time effort flashing narrowly wide and Epassy charging off his line to block another effort with a fantastic save. 

Six minutes of injury-time wasn't nearly enough given the entertainment on offer, and the game ended in a tie to leave both Serbia and Cameroon staring down the barrel in Group H. 

Moment of the match: It has to be Vincent Aboubakar's incredible chip that breathed new life into Cameroon and cut the deficit to 2-3 in the second-half. After cutting inside the covering defender, Aboubaker rolled a beautiful lob over Serbia's Milinkovic-Savic for a goal that had everyone hoping VAR would overturn the initial decision to rule it out for offside. Thankfully, VAR obliged!

xG: Cameroon (2.29) 3-3 (2.14) Serbia