Key events
22 min The first corner of the game goes to Switzerland but is wasted by Ricardo Rodriguez’s limp delivery.
20 min Switzerland calm the game down with Algeria out to take advantage of some chaos around the penalty area without finding a way through.
18 min Algeria have shown no sign of slowing down since falling behind. Ibrahim Maza gets on the end of some clever one-touch passing to fire a shot from distance but there isn’t enough venom behind it to truly test the keeper.
16 min Manzambi needs some attention after his latest dazzling run but, in the best of news for Switzerland, seems fine to continue.
15 min Manzambi finds space down the left side again and this time loops the ball over the defence with a cross to find Denis Zakaria. A brief stumble while taking the shot is enough to take away any power as Algeria keeper Luca Zidane collects.
13 min Algeria are straight back on to the front foot even after conceding the opener in all too familiar fashion as their two defensive lines appeared to switch off.
The Algeria wingbacks have been the key to their early attacks but this time left space behind them for Manzambi to exploit down Switzerland’s left side. The 20-year-old was hardly challenged as he carried the ball into the penalty area and had time to find Embolo among a sea of white shirts just a few metres from goal.
GOAL! Switzerland 1-0 Algeria (Embolo 11)
Breel Embolo taps in the opener for Swizterland with a goal against the run of play. Johan Manzambi picks a path through the Algeria defence and dribbles all the way to the byline before cutting back to pick out Embolo in the six-yard box.
8 min A half-hearted penalty claim for Algeria as Ramiz Zerrouki goes to ground and throws his hands in the air. There was contact from Switzerland defender Manuel Akanji but it appeared to be just outside the area.
6 min Algeria have the first chance of the game as a cross from the Rafik Belghali charging down the right with two attackers in the penalty area to choose from. Riyad Mahrez lets the ball drift under his feet with Houssem Aouar behind him and directly in front of goal. But the Algeria midfielder scuffs the shot and the ball trickles away.
5 min Algeria throw their first punches at Switzerland with their wingbacks joining the attack. Keeper Gregor Kobel comes off his line to clear.
3 min Johan Manzambi bursts down the left to test the Algeria defence early and earns a throw-in in the attacking half. Algeria clear the danger for they will be well aware of the threat the young Switzerland midfielder poses.
1 min Algeria get touches on the ball as they chase their first win in the World Cup knockouts.
Kick-off
Peeeeeep! Algeria in white with a splash of green get us under way against Switzerland kitted out fully in red at BC Place Vancouver.
Here is a reminder of the starting XIs for each side.
Switzerland XI
1 Gregor Kobel; 6 Denis Zakaria, 4 Nico Elvedi, 5 Manuel Akanji, 13 Ricardo Rodriguez; 11 Dan Ndoye, 10 Granit Xhaka (c), 8 Remo Freuler; 17 Ruben Vargas, 7 Breel Embolo, 9 Johan Manzambi.
Algeria XI
23 Luca Zidane (gk); 17 Rafik Belghali, 2 Aissa Mandi, 21 Ramy Bensebaini, 15 Rayan Aït-Nouri; 8 Houssem Aouar, 19 Nabil Bentaleb; 10 Farès Chaïbi, 6 Ramiz Zerrouki, 7 Riyad Mahrez (c); 22 Ibrahim Maza.
Referee: Yael Falcón Pérez
The tournament has been less fruitful for Asian nations with Japan bundled out at the group stage for the fifth-straight World Cup. Could it be time for the Blue Samurai to turn to a fresh coach to try to break the cycle? John Duerden has a curious idea …
Japan have the talent, the team and the tactical nous to beat the best but lack the belief against the very best. The Australian boss is all about playing on the front foot and taking the game to the opposition, no matter who that is. It is exactly what the Samurai Blue need and the players, most of whom play club football at the highest level, would surely respond.
Nine of the 10 African teams at this World Cup qualified for the knockout stage though South Africa, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and Congo have since been pushed out the exit.
Algeria can join Morocco in the last 16 with a win over Switzerland, while Ghana, Cape Verde, Egypt return to action tomorrow.
Egypt hope to have their star attack Mo Salah fit to face Australia, as Jack Snape reports from Dallas.
Mo Salah was seen training with his teammates on Thursday and Egypt coach Hossam Hassan confirmed his “passionate” forward was fit enough to play. “We look forward to him playing tomorrow, though we are not sure whether he is going to be in the starting lineup,” Hassan said, confirming the player himself was keen to play. “[Salah] is looking forward to making his own contributions with his teammates tomorrow,” he said.
The smallest details can make a difference at the World Cup.
All eyes will be on Switzerland’s 20-year-old attacker Johan Manzambi against Algeria, with the emerging talent living up to the hype so far with three goals in the group stage. Only Kylian Mbappé and Thomas Müller have scored more at a World Cup under the age of 21 this century. The France and Germany greats of course went on to win the golden boot at previous World Cups – without wanting to pile more pressure on Manzambi, here is where he sits in this year’s race …
Algeria XI
23 Luca Zidane (gk); 17 Rafik Belghali, 2 Aissa Mandi, 21 Ramy Bensebaini, 15 Rayan Aït-Nouri; 6 Ramiz Zerrouki, 22 Ibrahim Maza, 8 Houssem Aouar, 19 Nabil Bentaleb; 7 Riyad Mahrez (c), 10 Farès Chaïbi.
Coach Vladimir Petkovic recalls goalkeeper Zidane after he was omitted from the game against Austria with Oussama Benbot preferred, while Aït-Nouri is also back in the starting XI in place of Jaouen Hadjam. Zerrouki bolsters the midfield with Amine Gouiri named among the substitutes.
Switzerland XI
1 Gregor Kobel; 6 Denis Zakaria, 4 Nico Elvedi, 5 Manuel Akanji, 13 Ricardo Rodriguez; 11 Dan Ndoye, 10 Granit Xhaka (c), 8 Remo Freuler; 17 Ruben Vargas, 7 Breel Embolo, 9 Johan Manzambi.
Switzerland look set to line up in a 4-3-3 with veterans Xhaka and Freuler anchoring the midfield while Manzambi, Embolo and Vargas form a threatening attack.
Head coach Murat Yakin goes with Zakaria in place of Luca Jaquez, and recalls Ndoye into the starting XI over Djibril Sow.
Algeria are in the knockout stage for just the second time at a World Cup, having gone out in the last 16 in 2014 after their previous three visits to the tournament ended at the group stage. Jack Larkin joined the Algeria community at a Sydney cafe to ride the nervous energy and pandemonium of their memorable draw with Austria …
There is a nervous feeling in the air at Cafe Tanja because a loss would mean elimination for Algeria, who have been waiting for the chance to play Austria since the “Disgrace of Gijón”, the 1982 World Cup match where West Germany settled for a 1-0 win over Austria at the expense of Algeria, who were knocked out on goal difference.
Portugal are through to the last 16 after coming from behind to defeat Croatia in an all-time classic at Toronto Stadium. Paul MacInnes had the pleasure of witnessing the chaos and high drama first-hand …
Rafael Leão dropped to his knees. His cross had just been flicked into the net by Gonçalo Ramos to take Portugal to the last 16 of the World Cup. Leão’s expression was not one of delight, but relief.Billed as the last dance for two footballing icons, it was Luka Modrić who, at the age of 40, had to leave what will surely be his final World Cup. Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, plays on, and both scored and was even substituted in a match of endless incident. But this was a contest about more than two individuals, who were far from the most influential players on show. Instead this was an old-fashioned World Cup battle between hardened teams, with momentum swinging first one way then the other then back again. Neither side was willing to give up on their dream, and Portugal were the lucky ones in the end.
Johan Manzambi is no longer a secret weapon for Switzerland with the 20-year-old scoring three goals, and adding an assist, through the group stage. There are suggestions that the versatile midfielder could be on the move from Freiburg to Newcastle as a potential replacement for Sandro Tonali.
Switzerland did what they needed to do as they navigated a relatively favourable group stage, while Algeria rode a rollercoaster through their three games in part due to their own defensive lapses.
An undefeated but largely unconvincing start to the campaign was not enough for Switzerland to hold on to their initial place in the power rankings. Algeria, on the other hand, are trending in the opposite direction.
Johan Manzambi and Switzerland’s progress are on the same trajectory; they’ve both started slowly before pouncing.
On the other side of Canada the most gripping of last-32 clashes between Portugal and Croatia has just reached the most dramatic crescendo. Gonçalo Ramos scored with a header in stoppage time to claim the lead for Portugal for the first time in the game. But there was still time for a contentious call from VAR and the referee to deny Croatia a last-gasp equaliser.
Beau Dure is trying to keep up with all the drama and reaction from Portugal’s win over Croatia.
Preamble
Martin Pegan
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the World Cup match between Switzerland and Algeria at BC Place Vancouver. Kick-off in this last-32 clash is 8pm local/11pm EDT/4am BST/1pm AEST – or 4am in Algiers and 5am in Berne.
Switzerland took time to warm into the tournament when conceding late to draw their opener against Qatar. But they went on to steamroll Bosnia and Herzegovina then finished the group stage undefeated and locked in top spot with a win over co-hosts Canada.
Algeria had a much more dramatic journey to the last 32. There was no shame in being outclassed and defeated by Argentina before coming from behind to beat Jordan. But it was their clash with Austria, and an opportunity to avenge the Disgrace of Gijón, that will live longest in the memory. In arguably the best game of the group stage, Algeria again had to come from behind, this time not once but twice. They finally claimed the lead, and put one foot in the knockout stage, when Riyad Mahrez scored his second of the game in stoppage time. Another twist was still to come as Austria found time to level but by then Algeria had done enough to progress to the next stage as one of the top eight third-place finishers. That placing earned Algeria a last-32 clash with Switzerland, rather than an early meeting with Spain, with Colombia or Ghana now set to meet the winner of this game back at BC Place Vancouver.
Algeria are out to claim their first knockout stage win at a World Cup with Vladimir Petković now guiding them against the side he coached for seven years, while veteran Mahrez remains the on field spark even at the age of 35. Switzerland, on the other hand, can turn to a younger attack with Johan Manzambi leading the way and enjoying a breakout tournament.
I’ll be back shortly with the line-ups and team news – and the latest from the World Cup. In the meantime, get in touch with any questions, thoughts and predictions. You can shoot me an email, or find me on Bluesky @martinpegan.bsky.social. Let’s get into it!
