Serbia secured a commanding 1-0 victory over Latvia in World Cup qualifying, with the visitors' superior attacking threat proving decisive despite a resilient defensive display from the hosts. Playing in a 3-1-4-2 formation, Serbia dominated possession and created significantly more opportunities, recording 20 shots with seven on target and an expected goals total of 2.0, compared to Latvia's eight shots and 0.59 xG. Dušan Vlahović's clinical finishing provided the match-winning goal, while Serbia's goalkeeper maintained an 85.71 per cent save rate in limiting the damage from Latvia's occasional counterattacking forays. Latvia's 5-4-1 setup offered defensive solidity but limited attacking ambition, managing only two shots on target throughout the encounter. The gulf in quality was evident in the underlying metrics, with Serbia's 2.0 xG substantially outweighing Latvia's 0.59, reflecting their control and efficiency in the final third. Serbia's victory extends their unbeaten streak in qualifying.