Watch: One-man army! Serbia's Nemanja Matic fights with entire Costa Rica bench
Samara: Serbia got off to winning start in the 2018 FIFA World Cup after beating Costa Rica 1-0 in their first Group E match at Samara Arena on Sunday. Captain Aleksandar Kolarov's left-footed strike proved to be the difference as he scored with curling free kick to decide the outcome of the match.
Apart from Serbian victory, the match also witnessed heated scuffle between midfielder Namanja Matic and a member from the Costa Rica coaching staff.
All hell broke loose in the dying minutes of the game, after the 29-year-old midfielder tried to retrieve the ball for a throw in. Costa Rica's assistant manager Luis Marin refused to give the ball, which led to a scuffle between the two.
Costa Rica players on the bench were quick to react and confronted Matic for his action. The fourth official on sideline quickly intervened in the matter, before the scuffle went out of hand. The referee though did not award any card to Matic for his actions.
Matic taking on the whole Costa Rica bench 😂 pic.twitter.com/kenIjpYcNZ
— azy (@azymanzur) June 17, 2018
Serbia will now play Brazil in their second Group E game on June 27th.