Group H winners Portugal face Switzerland on Tuesday evening in the World Cup’s final round of 16 tie.
Despite losing to South Korea in stoppage time, Fernando Santos steered Portugal out of the group stage for the fourth major tournament in a row. Murat Yakin is at his first international competition as a manager but oversaw Switzerland’s progress behind Brazil in Group G with a spiky 3-2 victory over Serbia.
Here’s everything you need to know about an encounter which promises to be just as hotly contested.
Portugal vs Switzerland H2H Results (All Time)
Current Form (Last Five Games)
Portugal team news
PSG wingback Nuno Mendes was ruled out of the World Cup after sustaining a thigh injury. His club-mate Danilo Pereira damaged three ribs during a training session, leaving the converted centre-back’s availability in doubt.
Otavio missed Portugal’s final two group games with muscular discomfort but is nearing a return.
Portugal Starting 11 (4-3-3): Costa; Cancelo, Pepe, Dias, Guerreiro; Bernardo, Neves, Carvalho; Fernandes, Ronaldo, Felix.
Bench: Patricio, Sa, Andre Silva, Dalot, Pereira, Palhinha, Vitinha, Mario, Nunes, Horta, Ramos, Antonio Silva, Leao.
Switzerland team news
First-choice goalkeeper Yann Sommer and centre-back Nico Elvedi both missed Switzerland’s final group game against Serbia through illness. With four days to recover for the last 16, both are in with a chance of featuring.
Switzerland Starting 11 (4-2-3-1): Sommer; Widmer, Elvedi, Akanji, Rodriguez; Xhaka, Freuler; Shaqiri, Sow, Vargas; Embolo.
Bench: Kobel, Omlin, Comert, Zakaria, Frei, Jashari, Aebischer, Fernandes, Rieder, Fassnacht, Steffen, Okafor, Seferovic, Schar.
Portugal to win to nil – Nine of Portugal’s last 11 wins in all competitions have come to nil.
Switzerland to win – Portugal have lost each of their last four knockout matches at the World Cup, with their last two such defeats coming at this exact stage (vs Spain in 2010 & Uruguay in 2018).
Draw? No – Portugal have gone nine games without a draw in all competitions, while none of Switzerland’s last 10 games have ended level. Indeed, none of the last seven meetings between Portugal (4 wins) and Switzerland (3 wins) have been drawn.
Both teams to score? No – Both teams have scored in just one of the last seven meetings between Portugal and Switzerland.
Both teams to score – no is currently 3/4*
Portugal to score first & win – Portugal have opened the scoring in eight of their last nine World Cup games, while…
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