2026 FIFA World Cup: Quarterfinals - Argentina vs. Switzerland

Molina has had more bad games than good with the NT. Yes, he had his moments last WC vs Holland and Croatia when it mattered, but the truth is he often plays 5 points or less. I can recall a million games where he was the worst player on the pitch and did nothing offensively or defensively.

But alas this is nothing new, we all knew that the wingbacks were our achilles heel. We’ve been talking about it forever: if not Molina, who? Montiel arrived injured and in poor form, Giay/Maffeo were never able to break in… I know some make a case for Capaldo, but that’s about the only other option and truthfully is no guarantee that he’ll be any better either.

Just gotta hope Molina has one of those days where he randomly nails a long range shot like he has been doing for Atletico this season, although to be fair I think they banned him from shooting at goal from long range on the NT because I don’t recall him doing that even once since he debuted for us

 

“We will face the world champions, and there is nothing more beautiful than having this opportunity available to us. But in recent matches it has been shown that Argentina are vulnerable.”

🇹🇷🗣️ Murat Yakın

“Judging by their last two matches, we could see that they are vulnerable. We are capable of stopping the world champions.” 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/uYsnyezRu6

— Turk Scout (@ScouTurk) July 8, 2026

 

🇨🇭Murat Yakin's Switzerland blend tactical flexibility with efficient wing play and aerial dominance, seeking their first quarter-final since 1954 .

A few tactical observations from @mrziguen

1️⃣ Formation flexibility adapts to opponent strength and match situation.
Yakin…

— Tactical Football Analysis (@TotalAnalysis) June 11, 2026

since the full text doesn’t embed in BigSoccer:

A few tactical observations from @mrziguen:

1️⃣ Formation flexibility adapts to opponent strength and match situation. Yakin primarily operates a 4-3-3 but shifts to 3-4-3 against stronger teams in the knockout phase. He also experiments with 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1, and 5-4-1 depending on results and tactical objectives, with his players accustomed to frequent mid-game shape changes while maintaining balance. This versatility allows Switzerland to defend compact or push for goals without structural collapse, making them unpredictable and difficult to prepare against.

2️⃣ Wing solutions create overloads through midfield playmaking. Dan Ndoye and Rubén Vargas operate as dynamic wingers against compact defensive blocks, finding spaces to accelerate without the ball. Granit Xhaka's key passes are crucial—he identifies winger movements early and delivers perfect assists at the back of markers. Manzambi adds pace and dribbling to cut inside and create surprises. This wing-centric approach forces opponents to widen their defensive shape, creating gaps centrally.

3️⃣ Crossing specialists and aerial dominance dominate set-piece situations. Silvan Widmer and Ricardo Rodriguez are experienced crossing specialists delivering accurate balls from any flank position. Breel Embolo's movement without the ball and ability to escape marking inside the box makes him a continuous threat on headers. The chemistry between Embolo and both full-backs is well-established, creating reliable scoring opportunities from crosses—a major weapon against teams vulnerable to aerial pressure.

4️⃣ Zakaria's conversion to centre-back intelligently combines defense and playmaking. In the 3-4-3 formation, Yakin converts Denis Zakaria—traditionally a defensive midfielder—into a third centre-back. His height, strength in aerial duels, and interceptions suit the role perfectly, while his superior playmaking and passing skills enable Switzerland to build from the back more effectively than using Akanji or Elvedi. This allows Switzerland to initiate attacks through Zakaria when operating with three at the back.

5️⃣ High-line defending creates dangerous vulnerabilities to vertical passes. Switzerland's main weakness is their high defensive block, where centre-backs have slow reactions to vertical pass attempts and fail to keep up with opponent pace. Poor marking concentration and lack of communication between defenders frequently leave opponents unmarked in dangerous areas. Against Australia and Jordan, vertical passes exploited Switzerland's wide defensive line—Jordan waited for high pressure before launching balls behind, causing unmarked strikers to create scoring chances.​

More explanation into the analysis:

In cases of emergency, Yakin might switch to the 4-2-3-1 formation or even to the 5-4-1 formation, depending on the result and the objective (securing a lead, defending against a top team to avoid losing, or pushing for a goal).

This match example highlights his tendency to switch formations as needed to suit his match plan, as Yakin has accustomed his players to making frequent changes during games while keeping things balanced.

Their team is a mix of experienced and young but talented players, such as Johan Manzambi, Ardon Jashari, and Fabian Rieder, who are expected to add more squad depth and potential.

Manzambi, in particular, adds a valuable addition in attack thanks to his pace and impressive attacking abilities, proposing a reliable alternative for Yakin upfront, especially during games.

In terms of attacking solutions, Switzerland have got several strengths to rely on during this World Cup and perhaps some of the most remarkable and useful strengths are: wing efficiency and dynamism, midfielders’ crucial key vertical passing between the lines, and the reliance on crosses/exploitation of Embolo’s clinical abilities in the air.​

https://tacticalfootballanalysis.co...world-cup-2026-murat-yakin-tactical-analysis/

 

Is Manzambi confirmed out? Last I heard, they had never confirmed what his actual injury was or for how long he’d be out, but maybe I missed it.

My understanding is that he is likely to miss Saturday’s game, but there is no official confirmation yet. Correct me if I’m wrong though, because that would be excellent news