Switzerland has a genuine shot at history. A win over Colombia on July 7 in Vancouver would put the Swiss in a World Cup quarter-final for the first time since 1954. The problem is that their three most important players are currently question marks.
Granit Xhaka, Manuel Akanji, and Breel Embolo are all being monitored for minor muscular overload heading into the Round of 16 knockout fixture. The coaching staff has made fitness checks a central part of training sessions in the lead-up to the match.
What happened in the group stage
Switzerland arrived at this point on the back of a convincing 2-0 victory over Algeria on July 6, a result that confirmed their place in the knockout round. The Swiss have been characteristically difficult to break down throughout the group stage, leaning on their trademark midfield control and set-piece threat to grind out results.
Colombia, meanwhile, punched their ticket to the Round of 16 with a 1-0 win over Ghana. They topped their group on the back of that result, arriving in Vancouver with momentum and belief. Colombia will be without striker Jhon Córdoba, who is sidelined with a muscle injury of his own.
