- Switzerland have won five of their last ten matches, drawing four and losing just once.
- Colombia have won seven of their last ten, drawing one and losing just two.
- Switzerland average 2.20 goals scored and 1.10 goals conceded per match, while Colombia average 1.70 for and 0.80 against.
An old-school World Cup clash
Switzerland and Colombia will face off at BC Place in Vancouver on Tuesday in what looks to be a cagey Round of 16 scrap, but with Colombia entering the match as the slight favourites at 129/100. Murat Yakin's side are available at 64/25, while the draw is priced at 59/25.
These two sides met in the group stage of the 1994 World Cup, so there will be a little old-school tournament nostalgia to add to the spice in the air in Vancouver.
Yakin has made the Swiss a difficult team to oppose in 2026, building a unit with a compact block, plenty of tactical flexibility and some serious creativity. His side are equally comfortable in a back three or back four, they know how to overload through the middle and have enough pace on the flanks to make it a problem for opposition.
Swiss are on a roll
The Swiss will arrive in Canada in great shape, unbeaten in their last five matches and with three successive wins over Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada and Algeria.
In a tournament of transition, the Swiss are one of the few teams who can truly claim to be playing their best football, with their average of 2.20 goals scored and 1.10 conceded per match looking particularly impressive.
Breel Embolo leads the line in terms of FIFA World Cup knockout stage goals with one from one game and has been in fantastic form in this tournament, but his value extends far beyond the goals he scores. Embolo's movement causes havoc when the ball is played in behind and stretches the opposition back line, giving space for Switzerland's transition game to flourish.
Los Cafeteros have a little more about them
Néstor Lorenzo's Colombia are a good football team and they have been better overall than their Swiss opponents. Los Cafeteros are unbeaten in their last five, winning four and drawing 0-0 with Portugal in their most recent outing.
Lorenzo has made Colombia a team to watch in this competition, with their 4-2-3-1 system capable of morphing into a 4-3-3 when the wide players come in to support the striker.
They are a team with balance and control, which might be enough to get them through this clash with the compact Swiss. Jhon Arias is the main threat, with one goal in one game and three of his team's last seven goals. Arias is the sort of livewire who can change the game in an instant.
Under 2.5 goals fits the script
Under 2.5 goals at 67/100 is a price which fits the story of this game, but Colombia's wide attacks and Switzerland's pace on the break suggest that both teams to score is priced tightly. We're going for Colombia to nick it though, as they seem to have just a bit more about them and have a slight odds edge.
