Argentina vs Switzerland Prediction – July 1
With their star-studded lineup and their dismantling of Group F, Argentina’s squad are clearly one of the favorites to take the World Cup title. They must take care of one job at a time, however, and cannot overlook the Swiss in Tuesday’s Round of 16 match. [ad-1519080]
Date/Time: Tuesday, July 1 2014, Noon EST
Venue: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Argentina -115, Switzerland -105
MoneyLine: Argentina -220, Switzerland +600, Draw +350
Over/Under: 2.5
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One notable concern for Argentina is the hamstring injury of Sergio Aguero. The talented striker will miss the match against the Swiss, with Ezequiel Lavezzi likely taking his place.
Thus far in the tourney, Aguero’s absence (and lack of production when playing) hasn’t mattered, because Lionel Messi has re-asserted himself as the best player in the world. His four goals to date leads scorers at the World Cup and has almost single-handedly carried Argentina to easy victories against Nigeria, Iran and Bosnia-Herzegovina in Group F.
Even without Aguero, the Argentines still have the diminutive but deadly Messi and Gonzalo Higuain up front. It is Argentina’s impressive depth that seemingly has them slated for a deep run in this tournament.
But don’t tell the Swiss this. That nation’s football side is going into this match with nothing to lose, and will surely play their hearts out in Sao Paulo.
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The Swiss have enjoyed a lethal trio of midfielders Granit Xhaka, Xherdan Shaqiri and striker Admir Mehmedi. Shaqiri, in particular, has driven the Swiss attack, with three goals in the tourney and a remarkable 13 shots on goal thus far.
In its group matches, Switzerland got dumped handily by France, 5-2, though it hung on for victory versus Ecuador (2-1) and beat Honduras convincingly, 3-0. The Swiss’s two victories have them finish second in Group E and booked them a date to play against a South American powerhouse.
In order to pull the upset, Switzerland must somehow find a way to contain Messi, but the flair of the Barcelona man is not the only strength of the Argentine side. Argentina also features a stout defense anchored with Marcos Rojo, Federico Fernandez, Ezequiel Garay and Pablo Zabaleta.
Zabaleta is an especially hard-nosed defender, with a championship pedigree after his winning season at Manchester City in the English Premier League.
The dynamic Swiss trio already mentioned is threatening, but they’ll be in for a tough challenge with the hearty Argentine back four. What Argentina doesn’t handle in terms of goal prevention, the squad can usually generate enough scoring to make it a non-issue.
Switzerland enters this game as the underdog, and it knows it, and that may be a blessing for them because the team can play with a cavalier attitude. The Swiss did well to advance and they have acquitted themselves in this World Cup even if they lose to Argentina. So, they may as well throw everything and the kitchen sink at Messi and Co.
World Cup Prediction
Perhaps a functional way Switzerland could tally against Argentina is on the counterattack; it has the speed and goal-scoring touch to do so.
Yet, you’d be quite surprised if Argentina didn’t move on to the next stage of the tournament. In the Group stage, the nation showed that Messi can single-handedly carry this team; with players like Higuain, Maxi Rodriguez and Javier Mascherano, there are plenty of others that can use their world-class skill to make an impact.
Argentina should win this match without much hand-wringing.
Argentina 3, Switzerland 1
Take the OVER
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