Switzerland – Colombia

Switzerland and Colombia are likely to go to extra time

One of the most intriguing matches in the 1/8 finals of the World Cup will be the Switzerland vs. Colombia clash. The European side participates in almost every World Cup and often advances to the knockout stage. However, the current edition of the global championship in terms of success is breaking the usual boundaries for the most under‑stated team of the Old World. This time the Swiss not only managed to pass the first stage of the knockout rounds but also have high prospects of making the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Colombia in North America has shown itself to be a very mature and fearless squad. The South American team offered fast-pressing football in every match, which allowed them to beat everyone except Portugal. Overall, the opponents’ path to the Round of 16 was relatively calm. The only thing is that the Swiss stumbled a bit in the first-round match against Qatar. After creating a huge number of goal-scoring chances, the Europeans not only failed to convert but also allowed their opponent to equalize before the final whistle. After a resounding blow, Murat Yakin's charges broke through the run of bad luck already in the second round, scoring four goals against the tightly defending Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the final group-stage match, the Swiss finally gained confidence thanks to a victory over the Canadians, the hosts of the tournament. The first knockout round for the Swiss was also strong, as if their level of play was rising. In this phase, the Colombia team will be a real test of the European team's ambitions. The Colombians, in the opening matches of the tournament, did not have an easy time dealing with the defensively solid DR Congo and Uzbekistan. Having secured qualification for the knockout stage, the Colombians played quite confidently against Portugal in the match for first place. Having drawn Ghana in the Round of 16, the Colombia squad managed to score quickly and controlled the match from a position of strength throughout. In this match, the team’s forward Jhon Córdoba sustained an injury, which will reduce the Colombian coach's attacking options going forward. At the same time, both teams have strong attacking lines, which will ensure at least two goals in the match.