The FIFA World Cup Round of 16 concludes on Tuesday as the final four nations battle for the remaining two quarterfinal places. Argentina take on a dangerous Egypt side after both survived difficult Round of 32 encounters, while Switzerland meet Colombia in what promises to be a tightly contested affair between two defensively disciplined teams. We look at each match from a betting front below.
Argentina vs Egypt
Argentina have once again lived up to expectations after topping Group J with a perfect record before surviving a dramatic extra time battle against Cape Verde in the Round of 32. They began their World Cup campaign with a convincing 3-0 victory over Algeria before defeating Austria 2-0 to secure qualification with a game to spare. A 3-1 success over Jordan completed a flawless group stage as the South Americans advanced with maximum points.
Their Round of 32 clash against Cape Verde proved far more demanding than many anticipated. Lionel Messi gave Argentina the lead just before the half hour mark but Cape Verde responded through Deroy Duarte in the 59th minute to force extra time. A goal from Lisandro Martinez restored Argentina’s advantage in the 92nd minute before Sidny Lopes Cabral equalised once more in the 103rd minute. With penalties looming, Diney Borges caused an own goal in the 111th minute to hand Argentina a dramatic 3-2 victory and secure their place in the last 16.
Egypt have quietly emerged as one of the tournament’s surprise packages after finishing second in their group before eliminating Australia in a tense Round of 32 encounter. They opened with an impressive 1-1 draw against Belgium before producing a convincing 3-1 victory over New Zealand. A hard fought 1-1 draw against Iran was enough to see the side progress to the knockout stages.
Their Round of 32 meeting with Australia was an incredibly tense affair. Emam Ashour fired Egypt ahead in the 13th minute before Mohamed Hany scored an own goal to draw things level in the 55th minute. Neither side could find a winner through extra time, sending the contest to penalties where Mahmoud Saber, Rami Rabia, Mohamed Salah and Hossam Abdelmaguid all converted as Egypt claimed a 4-2 shootout victory to book their place in the last 16 teams.
Head-to-Head
Argentina have won both previous meetings between the nations, including a 2-0 victory in an international friendly in 2008.
Betting – Click here to bet
Argentina 1.40
Draw 4.75
Egypt 9.00
Verdict
Argentina remain one of the favourites to lift the World Cup despite being pushed to extra time by Cape Verde, while Egypt have shown they are ready to take the next step and compete with the top tier in international football. The Africans have proven difficult to break down but Argentina possess significantly more attacking quality and I think they will secure victory without conceding to reach the quarterfinals.
BET: Result and Both Teams to Score – Argentina and No at 2.05
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Switzerland vs Colombia
Switzerland have enjoyed an excellent tournament after finishing unbeaten in the group stages before producing another composed display in the Round of 32. They began with a 1-1 draw against Qatar before recording an impressive 4-1 victory over Bosnia & Herzegovina. Their last group stage clash featured a 2-1 win against Canada to claim top spot in the group and maintain their unbeaten record.
The Swiss carried that momentum into the knockout stages with a professional performance against Algeria. Breel Embolo opened the scoring after just ten minutes before Dan Ndoye doubled the advantage immediately after half time. Switzerland comfortably controlled the remainder of the match to claim a deserved 2-0 victory and progress to the last 16.
Colombia have continued their impressive tournament after finishing top of Group K before edging Ghana in a disciplined Round of 32 performance. They opened with a convincing 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan before defeating D.R. Congo 1-0. A goalless draw against Portugal then secured first place in the group.
Their Round of 32 clash against Ghana proved to be another controlled performance. Jhon Arias scored the only goal of the match in the 14th minute and Colombia defended superbly throughout the remainder of the contest to pick up a 1-0 triumph and another clean sheet.
Head-to-Head
Colombia have won two of the previous three meetings between the nations, while Switzerland have claimed one victory. The most recent encounter came in an international friendly in 2007 where Colombia defeated Switzerland 3-1.
Betting – Click here to bet
Switzerland 3.50
Draw 3.15
Colombia 2.30
Verdict
This has all the ingredients of a closely contested knockout fixture. Switzerland have impressed with their organisation and defensive structure, while Colombia have quietly been one of the tournament’s most consistent teams, conceding just one goal in four matches. With greater attacking creativity and momentum, I believe Colombia look well placed to edge what should be another low-scoring encounter.
BET: Colombia to Win at 2.30
Note: All prices are correct at the time of writing but are subject to change.
