Colombia hold the edge in this World Cup round of 16 meeting with Switzerland at BC Place in Vancouver. They enter as narrow favourites and the recent results suggest why.
Switzerland have strung together three wins in their last four World Cup outings. Those came against Algeria by 2-0, Canada by 2-1 and Bosnia-Herzegovina by 4-1 before a 1-1 draw with Qatar. The side look sharp going forward yet they will miss centre-back Luca Jaquez who sits out with muscular problems.
Colombia have been just as consistent. A 1-0 win over Ghana followed a 0-0 draw with Portugal, a 1-0 victory against Congo DR and a 3-1 success versus Uzbekistan. Their attack takes a hit though with Jhon Córdoba ruled out for the rest of the tournament after an adductor tear.
Neither side has met in the current campaign so history offers little guidance. Both teams advanced from the group stage and now face a knockout match where the winner moves into the quarter-finals. Colombia's defensive record in recent games stands out and they should control enough of the ball to progress.
Switzerland remain capable of causing problems on the counter. Their results show they can score but the absence of Jaquez weakens the back line against Colombia's pace in wide areas. Expect a tight contest that Colombia shade more often than not.
Recommended Bets
Colombia win @1.95 — narrow favourites with three wins from four recent matches and a stronger defensive showing than Switzerland.
Under 2.5 goals @1.85 — both teams have kept several clean sheets lately and the knockout setting points to caution.
Colombia -0.5 @1.90 — they have the better recent form and avoid the key striker injury impact through squad depth.
Odds tend to shorten closer to kickoff — lock in value now.
