Switzerland and Chile to battle it out for a spot in the next round

Switzerland made the headlines in their first Group H game as they upset one of the World Cup favourites by beating Spain 1-0. Chile also turned in a fine performance with a 1-0 win over Honduras. A win by either team when they meet at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on June 21 will go a long way towards qualifying for the next round.

Switzerland took advantage of their scoring opportunity and then hung on against Spain with a fine defensive effort to earn their three points, even though Spain had the lion’s share of possession and scoring chances. They will likely need the same type of performance to beat the attack-minded South Americans in this match. Midfielder Gelson Fernandes scored for Switzerland during a scramble and then hung on by their fingernails.

Swiss goalkeeper Diego Benaglio said the team knew their chances would be limited and had to take advantage of them as Spain would be relentless in their attack. He added that the Swiss capitalized and are now in a good position heading into their second game.

Chile was also quite impressive during their 1-0 win as Jean Beausejour scored the goal and forward Alexis Sanchez had a good game setting up his teammates. However, they feel they should have scored more goals based on the numerous scoring chances they created during the game. They outshot Honduras 20-7, but only managed the one goal. This could come back to haunt them further down the road if the group goes to goal difference. Manager Marcelo Bielsa said he’d like to see a better goals to chance ratio in the last two group games. Whoever wins this match will advance to the next round if the game between Honduras and Spain ends in a draw, so this should motivate both teams into going all out for a win.

Switzerland will be a weakened squad though as defender Philippe Senderos is out with an ankle injury and it’s expected that Steve von Bergen will take his place in the starting 11. Team captain and all-time leading scorer Alexander Frei and midfielder Valon Behrami are also expected to miss their second straight games due to leg injuries.

Chile’s goalkeeper Luis Marin thinks both teams are going into the game with a lot of confidence and the squads are pretty even. He added that both teams need to go out and play like they did in their opening matches to have any chance of winning said. Chile will be hoping that striker Humberto Suazo will be able to play as he scored 10 goals in World Cup qualifying to lead all South American players. Suazo has been suffering from a left thigh injury.

Midfielder Jorge Valdivia is also questionable as he left Chile’s first game with just a few minutes to play after having a problem with his right leg. He has been working out on his own since the game and could be ready to play if needed.

Chile v Switzerland Betting Odds and Predictions

The teams have met three times before with Switzerland winning two games to Chile’s one. This basically looks like a matchup between Chile’s offence and Switzerland’s defence. If Switzerland can keep Spain off the scoresheet they might be able to keep Chile off of it too. But I would still go for a tight win for Chile, 2-1 gives you 7.50 in odds at Bwin, and +900 (10.00) at Sportsbook (USA Friendly)

Expekt.com has Chile as the favourites with odds of 27/20, with Switzerland at 23/10. The odds of a draw are listed at 21/10.

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