Sweden vs. Switzerland: 5 key matchups

Sweden face Switzerland in the World Cup round of 16 on Tuesday, July 3. Here are five matchups that could decide the result.

Sweden and Switzerland meet Tuesday with both teams looking to advance to the quarterfinal. The following five matchups could determine which nation moves on, and which nation heads home.

Emil Forsberg vs. Michael Lang

Switzerland right-back and captain Stephan Lichtsteiner will miss the game against Sweden with a yellow card ban. The loss of Lichtsteiner cannot be overstated. The Swiss captain has 103 caps for his country and has been a regular for Juventus since joining the club in 2011. For years, Lichtsteiner has been dependable for Switzerland, rarely making a mistake, providing solid defense and the ability to join the attack. Without Lichtsteiner, Switzerland will likely turn to Michael Lang. While Lang has 26 caps, this will be the biggest game he’s played in.

If stepping in for a national team legend wasn’t big enough, Lang will be responsible for marking Sweden’s most dangerous attacking player, Emil Forberg. The dynamic RB Leipzig winger is able to beat defenders with his speed and find holes in defenses with his passing. Forsberg’s presence will limit Lang’s ability to push forward and join the attack. If Forsberg has a strong game in the final third for Sweden, there’s a good chance they advance.

Marcus Berg vs. Manuel Akanji

Manuel Akanji was signed by Borussia Dortmund in the winter transfer window. At 22 years old, the Swiss center-back is one of the best young players in the Bundesliga. Akanji combines good size with speed, but he will be tested on Tuesday. The game against Sweden will be the biggest game of his career and a major test for a player with only 10 international caps.

Akanji’s usual center-back partner, Fabian Schar, will watch from the stands with Lichtsteiner as he also serves a yellow card suspension. Johan Djourou will come into the starting XI next to Akanji. While Djourou has plenty of experience in big games at both the club and international level, he’s on the downside of his career. Djourou played 18 games this past season in Turkey.

Marcus Berg led Sweden in scoring during qualifying, finding the back of the net eight times. However, during the group stage, he was very quiet. That will have to change if Sweden are going to advance. Going up against a Swiss backline that is without two of its regular starters should make life easier for Berg. Sweden will try to force Switzerland to make mistakes playing the ball out of the back. If they succeed, Berg will have to capitalize.

Andreas Granqvist vs. Haris Seferovic

Andreas Granqvist might have been Sweden’s best player in the group stage, playing physical defense and preventing opposing players from getting chances inside of the Swedish box. He also took two penalties for Sweden, clinically finishing twice from the spot and giving the opposing keeper almost no chance of stopping either penalty. Sweden will likely try to get as many players behind the ball as possible and force Switzerland to attack from the wings. Granqvist will be responsible for marking Haris Seferovic.

Seferovic started the first two games of the group stage but was relegated to the bench for the third game. Switzerland have got very little from any of their strikers so far. Mario Gavranovic started the third game but was subbed off for Josip Drmic, who scored against Costa Rica. After disappointing game by Gavranovic, Seferovic or Drmic will likely get the start against Sweden. No matter who starts for Sweden, the Swiss need a player who will apply pressure on Sweden’s defenders and provide a target in the middle of the field.

Ludwig Augustinsson vs. Xherdan Shaqiri

Ludwig Augustinsson has had a breakthrough tournament for Sweden. After a strong first season with Werder Bremen, Augustinsson has continued his strong into the World Cup. The left-back combines good defending with an ability to get forward and be involved in the attack. He scored the opening goal against Mexico that ultimately helped Sweden win Group F.

Augustinsson has the difficult challenge of marking Swiss playmaker Xherdan Shaqiri. The Stoke winger is a threat to create a goal for himself or a teammate anytime he touches the ball in the final third of the field. Shaqiri has the ability to beat defenders with his dribbling, using his diminutive size to change direction faster than his opponent to create space for himself. Shaqiri uses any space he gets to unleash a powerful strike on goal or create a scoring opportunity for a teammate with a beautiful pass or cross.

Next: The best player on every team at the World Cup

Viktor Claesson vs. Granit Xhaka

Granit Xhaka is the best player on either team and he needs to play like it. The Swiss midfielder will operate box-to-box, winning the ball back and playing it forward. Xhaka might have to play deeper than normal to provide extra support to the Swiss defense that is without two starters. The Swiss midfield is unafraid to win the ball back with a hard tackle but will have to be careful not to pick up any cards. If Xhaka is able to push forward and get involved in the attack for Switzerland, the game will likely end in their favor. Xhaka is also a threat to score from outside of the box. The Arsenal midfielder scored one of the best goals of the tournament against Serbia.

Viktor Claesson plays for Russian club Krasnodar but could be in line for a move to a bigger league if he continues his strong play at the World Cup. Claesson has three assists so far, one in each of Sweden’s group stage games. Sweden deploys Claesson behind the strikers, opposite of Forsberg. If Claesson picks up his fourth assist of the tournament, Sweden will have a good chance to advance. However, one of the main responsibilities against Switzerland will be what Claesson does without the ball. Claesson will be responsible for applying pressure on Xhaka. The more time Xhaka has, the more time he will be able to see the field and make the right pass. The less time Xhaka has, the faster Sweden will be able to win the ball back.