CORNERFLICK
Colombia head into their last-16 meeting with Switzerland at BC Place in Vancouver without John Córdoba, who has been ruled out for the rest of the World Cup with a groin injury.
The loss is a major setback for a side built on structure and counter-attacking. Córdoba went off injured in the win over Ghana, and Colombia have now reduced their squad to 25 players, leaving Luis Suárez to spearhead the attack.
Switzerland arrive with a record that marks them out as one of the tournament’s most productive teams. They have scored nine goals in four games, an average of 2.3 per match, with Johan Manzambi contributing three goals and two assists.
Murat Yakin’s side have also shown a habit of scoring late, with four of their goals arriving between the 76th and 90th minutes. Colombia, though, have three clean sheets in four games and have conceded only once, setting up a direct clash between Switzerland’s attack and Colombia’s defence.
Colombia previously reached the quarter-finals in 2014 and the round of 16 in 2018.