Sweden and Switzerland make balanced duel in quarterfinal fight

Two of the richest and most developed countries in the world, Sweden and Switzerland face each other on Tuesday at 11:00 (Zenit) in St. Petersburg to see who is playing in the quarterfinals of the World Cup. world of Russia. The quality of life of Swedes, ranked 14th in the UN Human Development Index (HDI), and Switzerland, third in the rankings, will not go on the pitch. What matters is football and, in this respect, the duel is balanced, both in the past and in the present.

In 98 years, Sweden and Switzerland have played each other 28 times. They are 10 victories for the Nordiques against 10 famous manufacturers of watches and chocolates, in addition to eight draws. Despite a regular showdown, the last time they clashed, it was in March 2002, when they drew 1-1 Despite the large number of matches, none of them n & rsquo; Was in World Cup.

They arrived for the World Cup of Russia in a similar way: at the repechage. Sweden finished second in Group A and sent Italy into the fray for the World Cup. Switzerland was in second place in Group B and went beyond Northern Ireland. Now they are one step away from being among the top eight teams on the planet.

Sweden is on its way to the quarter-finals after 24 years. The last time was in the United States in 1994. They went to the semi-finals, where they lost to Brazil and finished this campaign in third place.

The current style is similar to that of goalkeeper Ravelli's team, midfielder forwards Kennet Anderson, Dahlin and Larsson (famous for his rastafarian hair). The current team is also physically strong and exploits aerial balls well. They led group F with six points – victory over South Korea (1-0) and Mexico (3-0) and defeat for Germany (2-1).

To face Switzerland, coach Janne Andersson will not be able to count on the wheel of Sebastian Larsson, suspended for receiving the second yellow card. The only player out of the 23 expected to play in his country should be replaced by Gustav Svensson. Highlights include defender Lindelöf (Manchester United) and midfielder Forsberg (RB Leipzig). Zlatan Ibrahimovic is still behind the scenes in Sweden

Switzerland, meanwhile, is in the game with the goal of returning to the quarter-finals of the World Cup after 64 years. The last time he reached this stage was in 1954, when they hosted the World Cup and finished in fourth place.

Up to now, the Swiss have not lost to Russia. In the first round, by group E, they were in second place with draws against Brazil (1 to 1) and Costa Rica (2 to 2) and the victory against Serbia (2 to 1). Median and controversial performance, on and off the field. Three players were fined by FIFA after taking political action against Serbia. A few days later, the federation was also sanctioned because of the leaders who discussed with the security agents and, without accreditation, they invaded the stadium of the match against the Costa Ricans.

The success of the team led by coach Vladimir Petkovic in the match depends on the low Granit Xhaka (Arsenal) and Xherdan Shaqiri (Stoke City), as they will be weakened by absences, by suspension, defender Fabian Schaer and captain and right-back Stephan Lichtsteiner. Johan Djourou and Michael Lang will be the substitutes, respectively.

Sweden and Switzerland make a hard prognosis duel. Bookmakers have a slight advantage for the Scandinavians. It is easy to know that the two countries will continue to be at the top of the global quality of life after 90 minutes (or 120?) And for a long time.