TEAM NEWS
Sweden named the same side in their final two group games but will have to make at least one change, with Hull midfielder Sebastian Larsson suspended.
He is likely to be replaced by either Genoa’s Oscar Hiljemark or Seattle Sounders’ Gustav Svensson. The wife of Sweden captain Andreas Granqvist is due to give birth on Tuesday, but he has hinted he will play regardless of any developments.
Switzerland are without two of their regular back four. Fabian Schar and captain Stephan Lichtsteiner are both serving one-game bans.
Michael Lang will deputise for Lichtsteiner at right-back, while Schar’s place at centre-back is expected to go to either Johan Djourou or Nico Elvedi.
Neither Haris Seferovic nor Mario Gavranovic have convinced up front, so it remains to be seen who leads the line against the Swedes.
SWEDEN LINE UP
1 Robin Olsen (Goalkeeper)
2 Mikael Lustig (Defender)
3 Victor Lindelöf (Defender)
4 Andreas Granqvist (Defender)
6 Ludwig Augustinsson (Defender)
17 Viktor Claesson (Midfielder)
13 Gustav Svensson (Midfielder)
8 Albin Ekdal (Midfielder)
10 Emil Forsberg (Midfielder)
9 Marcus Berg (Forward)
20 Ola Toivonen (Forward)
SWITZERLAND LINE UP
1 Yann Sommer (Goalkeeper)
6 Michael Lang (Defender)
20 Johan Djourou (Defender)
5 Manuel Akanji (Defender)
13 Ricardo Rodríguez (Defender)
11 Valon Behrami (Midfielder)
10 Granit Xhaka (Midfielder)
23 Xherdan Shaqiri (Forward)
15 Blerim Džemaili (Midfielder)
14 Steven Zuber (Midfielder)
19 Josip Drmić (Forward)
OVERVIEW
It is 24 years since Sweden won a knockout game at the World Cup, while opponents Switzerland have not scored a goal at this stage since 1954. But despite that limited pedigree, both will sides will have realistic ambitions of reaching the latter stages in Russia.
The Swiss, who sit sixth in the Fifa rankings, are the highest-placed side in the bottom half of the draw, while the Swedes come into this game on a high following the impressive 3-0 win against Mexico, their biggest World Cup victory since 1994.
The Swedes had just 24.5% possession against the Germans and 33.5% versus the Mexicans, and are happy to sit deep and play on the counter-attack. It may not please the purists, but midfielder Albin Ekdal is unconcerned.
“Who the hell cares?” he said. “We’re best at maximising. We can’t compete with France or Spain when it comes to skill on the ball, but luckily football is not decided by ‘tiki-taka’ passes.”
LAWRO’S PREDICTION
Switzerland have been playing well and got out of Group E without too much fuss.
It is very obvious what Sweden do, and they definitely play to their strengths without having any really talented strikers.
From what I have seen of the Swiss, they just have a little bit more about them, which is why I am backing them to get to the quarter-finals.
Prediction: 0-1
