- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,199,491
- Reaction score
- 59
You must be registered for see images attach
Argentina vs Switzerland – Match preview and team news
Argentina is set to face Switzerland in the final quarter-final match of the World Cup on Sunday at the Kansas City Stadium.
Lionel Scaloni’s team continues their title defence journey and will look to confirm its spot in the semifinals, where either Norway or England will await them.
Argentina vs Switzerland – Match preview and team news
- Date: Sunday, 12th July.
- Kick-off: 2am BST.
- Venue: Kansas City Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri, USA.
Argentina team news
Argentina enters the World Cup quarter-final clash with a clean bill of health and no fresh injury concerns reported by head coach Lionel Scaloni.
Key centre-back Cristian Romero is fully fit and ready to anchor the defence alongside Lisandro Martínez.
However, after surviving consecutive exhausting 3-2 knockout scares against Cape Verde and Egypt, Scaloni is heavily considering tactical rotations.
He may refresh his fullbacks and central midfield to maintain squad energy against a resilient Swiss side. Emiliano Martínez will start in goal, protected by a solid back four.
The midfield engine will likely feature Rodrigo De Paul, Leandro Paredes, Enzo Fernández, and Alexis Mac Allister providing crucial structural support.
Up front, talisman Lionel Messi—who leads the team with eight goals this tournament—will spearhead the attack next to Lautaro Martínez to secure a spot in the semi-finals.
Switzerland team news
Switzerland faces a massive setback as midfielder Johan Manzambi has been ruled out of the crucial quarter-final match at Arrowhead Stadium.
Head coach Murat Yakin confirmed that the twenty-year-old SC Freiburg standout failed a late fitness test due to severe knee pain.
Manzambi’s absence strips the Swiss of their most potent counter-attacking weapon, who contributed three vital goals during the group stage.
On a positive note, winger Ruben Vargas is fully fit to start after successfully returning from the bench during the penalty shootout victory against Colombia.
Michel Aebischer is also available for selection. Switzerland will lean heavily on their defensive discipline and experienced spine to upset the defending world champions.
Elite goalkeeper Gregor Kobel will start behind a backline featuring Manuel Akanji, while captain Granit Xhaka and Remo Freuler anchor the midfield battle.
Form
Argentina
Defending champions Argentina enter the quarter-finals with an unblemished, high-scoring tournament run, though their defensive stability has recently faltered. Lionel Scaloni’s side dominated Group J, comfortably dispatching Algeria 3-0, Austria 2-0, and Jordan 3-1.
However, the knockout stages exposed unexpected vulnerabilities. La Albiceleste survived consecutive 3-2 scares against Cape Verde in the round of 32 and Egypt in the last 16, requiring a late 90th-minute Enzo Fernández winner to advance.
Switzerland
Switzerland has proven incredibly resilient, relying on defensive structure and tactical discipline to remain undefeated in normal time. After opening Group B with a 1-1 draw against Qatar, they found their rhythm by defeating Bosnia 4-4 and Canada 2-1 to comfortably progress.
In the knockouts, they shut down Algeria 2-0 before grinding out a tactical, goalless draw over 120 minutes against Colombia, ultimately winning 4-3 on penalties.
Predicted lineups
Argentina: E. Martínez; Molina, Romero, Li. Martínez, Tagliafico; De Paul, Paredes, Fernández, Mac Allister; Messi, Lautaro Martínez
Switzerland: Kobel; Zakaria, Elvedi, Akanji, Rodriguez; Jashari, Xhaka, Freuler; Ndoye, Embolo, Vargas
How to watch Argentina vs Switzerland?
You can watch the Argentina vs. Switzerland World Cup quarter-final match live and for free on ITV1 in the UK.
Read Also – England missing up to five players for Norway clash
See More – Xabi Alonso plans to build on ‘strong culture’ at Chelsea
Follow the Football Faithful on Social Media:
Continue reading...
