Slick Switzerland sweep past Algeria into World Cup last 16

VANCOUVER: Switzerland striker Breel Embolo struck early, and winger Dan Ndoye added a second as their side cruised to a 2-0 win over Algeria on Thursday (Jul 2) and into the last 16 at the World Cup, where they will meet Colombia or Ghana back in Vancouver next week.

The victory was Switzerland's first in the knockout stage since 1938, and they will fancy their chances in the next round after a tactical masterclass orchestrated by coach Murat Yakin.

Murat Yakin's Swiss side put on a tactical masterclass, shifting formations and laying traps for Algeria before hitting them with two sucker-punch goals that decided a contest short on excitement, but full of intrigue and nuance.

Pitted against a familiar foe in Algeria coach Vladimir Petkovic, who had seven years at the helm of Switzerland between 2014 and 2021, Yakin set his team up to absorb early pressure and strike on the break, and that is exactly what they did.

"We couldn't underestimate Algeria and we had to be clinical, that clinical finishing made the difference today," striker Embolo said.

"It gave us the energy we needed in the first half. We could have been even more ruthless in the second half. We played with great maturity. We have to stay humble and keep working."

Switzerland's opener was as simple as it was effective.

They won the ball in their own half and sent 20-year-old Johan Manzambi off down the left on the counter, and he squared for Embolo to steer the ball into the net from close range in the 10th minute.

The lead secured, Switzerland shifted to a five-man midfield out of possession, snuffing out the space and challenging the Algerians to play through them, but Petkovic's charges struggled to break their opponents down.

Algeria's best chance