Sweden vs Switzerland

Sweden- Needing a win in their third match of Group F against Mexico, Sweden delivered a convincing 3-0 win over El Tri. This win, coupled with a German loss to South Korea, moved Sweden from third place to first place in the group. The only team in the group with a positive goal differential (+3), most of their squad play their club ball in Germany, and their physical style of football is similar to what you might see in the Bundesliga. Former Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic said yesterday that he can play better than the team, two years after he voluntarily retired from international football. Watching this Swedish team advance to the Round of 16, one would suspect that the squad is doing quite well in his absence.

Switzerland- Finishing up in Group E in second place with a win and two draws, the Swiss ended their cam- paign with a lackluster 2-2 tie against Costa Rica, allowing Los Ticos the ability of picking up a point before returning home. With midfielders Granit Xhaka of Arsenal and Xherdan Shaqiri of Stoke City their main catalysts, Switzerland were one of the very few teams not awarded any penalty kicks. This is largely due to their penchant for shooting outside the penalty area, and it is a rarity to see a Swiss striker “going to goal”. While this style of offense helped the Swiss advance to the Round of 16, it will be needed if they are to advance any further in the tournament.

Prediction- Sweden has gotten stronger as the tournament has progressed, and they should be able to take control of the game against the Swiss. Look for a close match, with Sweden winning 2-1 and sending the Swiss back to the Alps.