- Argentina have won 5 consecutive games. Their last two FIFA World Cup knockout games were 3-2 against Egypt and 4-3 after extra time against Cape Verde.
- Switzerland are unbeaten in 5 (W4, D1, PSO W). They have won 4 straight coming into this clash.
- Switzerland's Breel Embolo (1 goal in 1 game) leads Switzerland's scoring in the FIFA World Cup knockout stage. Switzerland have conceded 1.3 goals per game in their last 10 in all competitions.
Scaloni's 4-3-3 fluidity
Argentina are a confident and capable 31/50 favourite to win this match against a very good Switzerland side. Switzerland will be a big price at 9/2 and the draw is at 11/4 for this all-out knockout clash.
Murat Yakin has done a fantastic job with Switzerland since taking the job on 9 August 2021. The Nati are a well structured and disciplined football team who grind out results, keep games tight and score when they can. They are not high-scoring, but they're clinical when they need to be, with Breel Embolo the most deadly striker in the Swiss armoury (1 goal in 1).
Yakin has made Switzerland a structure-first team, always compact in a medium or low block. They can break quickly down the wings, but they will be careful to maintain their structure when playing Argentina. Switzerland's compact shape is also perfect for a man like Dan Ndoye, who has been a live wire in this competition, netting 3 of their 9 goals across their 5-game unbeaten run.
Scaloni's side are trophy winners
Lionel Scaloni has been at the helm of Argentina since 2nd August 2018 and has arguably made the squad more versatile and more of a trophy-winning machine. They play a fluid 4-3-3 system which can easily morph into a narrow 4-2-3-1 or other variations, and they have shown their ability to control games, as well as surging in the latter stages.
Argentina are in knockout form coming into this game, with a perfect 10-0-0 record in their last 10 matches in all competitions. They have scored 12 times in their 5-game run across this tournament, with Lionel Messi on fire as usual and contributing 4 in 5 games.
The Argentina vs Switzerland game will be interesting to watch, and it's Argentina's to win. I expect them to come out on top in a tactical battle at Kansas City Stadium on Sunday.
