INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Switzerland secured their first win at this World Cup by beating Bosnia-Herzegovina 4-1 through three goals late in the game to ease fears that their profligacy against Qatar would cost them at this tournament.Johan Manzambi and Ruben Vargas came off the bench together in the 72nd minute and by the final whistle they had between them scored the three goals to clinch a victory that put the Group B favorites on course for the knock-out phase.Bosnia were reduced to 10 men in the 80th minute, when the score was 1-0 to Switzerland, when Tarik Muharemovic was sent off for bringing down Breel Embolo as last man.Bosnia fans created a great atmosphere at the SoFi Stadium, and they had cause to cheer in added time at least, as Ermin Mahmic lashed in a consolation on the volley.In the last act of the game Granit Xhaka, who has been criticised in the Swiss media for supposedly being too negative in public statements, appeared to answer back by celebrating a fourth goal from the penalty spot by making a talking motion with his hand.The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell and Greg O’Keeffe break down the key talking points from the match:Swiss substitutes spring group favorites to lifeFor a while here there was more than a whiff of danger for Switzerland in L.A.As this goalless contest drifted towards what might have been a consecutive group stage draw for both teams, it was Murat Yakin’s side with the most to lose.Taking just a point from their opener with Qatar was sub-optimal, so another draw ahead of their final game against a tough opponent and cohost in Canada may have left the group’s strongest side in danger of not progressingCertainly there was an increased risk that they would not have been in control of their own fate.But the Swiss are considered Group B’s top dogs for a reason, and their strength in depth from the bench proved key.Yakin knew he had a game-changing ace up his sleeve, and he played it on 74 minutes with Freiburg’s Manzambi, the 20-year-old midfielder tipped to be a superstar.Two minutes after being introduced, he broke the deadlock; volleying a fierce first-time strike past Nikola Vasilj from close range.It was a moment of undiluted quality in a previously patchy contest. Accurate and powerful, the shot was clocked at 79 mph, and it changed the course of the game. Before long Bosnia had 10 men, the Swiss had another goal and then to put the icing on the cake, Manzambi showed his class again, side footing a pass into the corner of the net with one touch to make it three.On a night when veterans like Xhaka and Edin Dzeko asserted their quality, it was a young contender who made the big difference.
Super subs spring Switzerland to life in World Cup win vs. Bosnia; Xhaka responds to scrutiny
The Group B favorites were headed toward a second straight draw before breaking out in a big way. We analyse the key moments










