#世界杯冠军预测 Facing Messi's defending champion, challenger Switzerland still eager to make new history

The quarterfinal matchups of the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico have been set, and the defending champion Argentina's quarterfinal clash will undoubtedly draw massive attention. Facing Switzerland head-on, Argentina remains the favorite to advance, but after two shaky matches, the form of the Albiceleste is somewhat worrying.

By reaching the quarterfinals, Switzerland has already matched its best-ever World Cup performance, just one step away from making new history. Against an inconsistent defending champion, the gritty "Red Cross" squad is not without a chance.

A straight path to the semifinals? Not so easy.

As the defending World Cup champion, Argentina with Messi is naturally one of the title favorites. However, the knockout stage so far has shown that this powerhouse's performance hasn't met outside expectations. In the round of 16 against African "dark horse" Cape Verde, Argentina was given a scare — leading twice, being equalized twice, and only advancing after extra time thanks to an own goal from the opponent. In the round of eight against another African side, Egypt, Argentina was pushed to the brink, trailing by two goals before scoring three in the final minutes to complete a dramatic comeback. Even Messi could not hold back his tears after the match.

When the knockout bracket was released, many believed Argentina had drawn a favorable path to the semifinals. But two shaky matches have proven that the current Argentina team is not as strong as fans imagine. Compared to four years ago, Argentina's squad has seen limited renewal, the overall lineup is older, and Messi still has to shoulder the responsibility as the offensive core. But at 39 years old, the continuous hard-fought matches have taken a heavy toll on his stamina. Moreover, in this World Cup, Messi has already missed two penalty kicks, becoming the first player to miss two penalties in a single World Cup (excluding penalty shootouts), highlighting the pressure he is under. In the upcoming knockout games, it's foreseeable that Argentina will still place their hopes on Messi, but after two consecutive narrow escapes, it's uncertain whether he and the team have enough energy left for tougher battles.

First, drag Argentina into the mud

For title favorite Argentina, the quarterfinals are certainly not the ultimate goal. As the underdog, Switzerland can be more relaxed mentally. In the match against Egypt, Argentina exposed its vulnerability on the counterattack when pushing forward, and Switzerland can learn from that. Solid defense has always been Switzerland's strength on the world stage.

In this World Cup, they drew 1-1 with Qatar in the first group match, beat Bosnia 4-1 in the second, and defeated Canada 2-1 in the third, topping Group B undefeated. In the knockout stage, they first beat Algeria 2-0, then drew 0-0 with Colombia after 120 minutes and won on penalties. In other words, in the knockout stage, Switzerland has not conceded a goal in regular time or extra time.

Facing Argentina, Switzerland's first priority is to tighten the defense, drag the defending champion into a quagmire of sustained attacks, and then seize the chance to deliver a fatal blow. As an important fulcrum in Switzerland's forward line, striker Embolo's performance is crucial. He also stated that the team is ready to challenge the giant: "Argentina is an extraordinary team with the greatest player of all time. We respect Messi a lot and know what he can do. We will try our best to cause trouble for Messi." So far, Switzerland's best World Cup result is the quarterfinals, and now they want to go further: "We want to make more history."

Can the "Red Cross" create a miracle?

Currently, Argentina is ranked 2nd in the world, Switzerland 14th. The former has the advantage, but the latter's ranking is higher than Egypt (24th) and Cape Verde (64th). Looking at historical head-to-head records, Argentina has a dominant edge: they have played 7 matches, with Argentina winning 5 and drawing 2, unbeaten, including two victories in the World Cup. However, it won't be easy for Argentina to beat this opponent. Their most recent World Cup meeting was in 2014, when Argentina struggled to score and only won 1-0 thanks to Di Maria's extra-time winner.

Past results are just history. The Swiss team is eager to write a new chapter, as captain Xhaka said: "This World Cup has already seen many upsets." "Even though we are a small country, anything can happen on the top stage of world football like the World Cup. Standing in the quarterfinals, our desire to win is stronger than before." Switzerland's head coach Yakin also encouraged the team: "Facing the reigning champion is a rare opportunity. Although Argentina is strong, they are not invincible. The team will go all out to try to beat them." Notably, unlike the other three quarterfinals played in the early hours of Beijing time, the match between Argentina and Switzerland will be played on July 12 at 9 a.m. Beijing time (Sunday), a more friendly time for Chinese viewers.

Will a miracle happen in the clash between the defending champion and the challenger? We'll find out on the pitch.