Switzerland vs Algeria

Switzerland arrive in Vancouver as group winners with a potent attack that averaged 2.3 goals per game, yet their failure to keep a single clean sheet exposes a vulnerability Algeria's lively forward line will look to exploit. The Swiss counter-pressing, orchestrated by Granit Xhaka, should dominate territory, while Algeria's Riyad Mahrez and Mohamed Amoura carry a threat on the break that could trouble a backline conceding an average of one goal a game. Algeria's 3-0 loss in their group stage outing highlights defensive fragility when put under sustained pressure, and that is exactly what Switzerland's 2.09 rolling xG suggests they will apply. Expect an open knockout tie where both teams find the net, but Switzerland's superior chance creation and control ultimately prove decisive.