Argentina 3-1 Switzerland: Alvarez Stunner Sets Up England Semi-Final

Result

Argentina 3-1 Switzerland. Julian Alvarez scored a spectacular extra-time goal as the defending champions beat 10-man Switzerland in Kansas City to reach the World Cup semi-finals, where they will face England.

Alexis Mac Allister had given Argentina the lead in the 10th minute, heading in a Lionel Messi corner after being left unmarked at the near post. It was the midfielder's first goal of the tournament. Switzerland grew into the game and found an equaliser in the 67th minute when Dan Ndoye fired home from a tight angle after linking with Ricardo Rodriguez down the left. Five minutes later, the match turned. Breel Embolo went down under a challenge from Leandro Paredes and the referee initially booked Paredes, but VAR recommended a review under new mistaken identity rules. The referee issued Embolo a second yellow card after VAR judged the incident to be simulation, reducing Switzerland to ten men.

Switzerland held firm through the remainder of regulation and the first period of extra time, but in the 112th minute Alvarez picked up the ball 25 yards out and curled a stunning strike into the top corner to break Swiss resistance. Lautaro Martinez added a third in the 121st minute to seal the win.

Pool impact

Argentina remain the tournament's most reliable attacking force for Last Man Standing players. Three knockout matches, three goals scored in each, and now they have found extra-time winners in back-to-back games. If you backed Argentina, you survived again, but they are making you earn it. For pool players holding Argentina ahead of the semi-final against England, the concern is the defence. Argentina have conceded in every knockout match, and England are the best defensive side they will have faced.

For Score Predictor, 3-1 Argentina was the correct call. The four-goal total was the highest of the quarter-finals, and the two-goal margin reflected Argentina's superiority once Switzerland went down to ten men. The match going to extra time meant the exact score was not settled until the final minutes, rewarding those who stayed patient.

Pre-match forecasts

Argentina entered as clear favourites against a Switzerland side playing in their first World Cup quarter-final since 1954. The expectation was for Argentina's attack to eventually break through, and that held true, but Switzerland's organisation and Ndoye's equaliser made it far more difficult than most predicted. The red card changed the contest, and Switzerland's resistance with ten men earned them respect even in defeat.

Standout stats

Messi was held without a goal for the first time in his last 10 World Cup matches, but Argentina found three goals from elsewhere. Alvarez has now scored in back-to-back knockout games. Argentina have scored exactly three goals in all three knockout victories. Switzerland exit at the quarter-final stage, equalling their best-ever World Cup finish from 1954.

What comes next

Argentina face England in the semi-final in Atlanta on Wednesday. It is the first competitive meeting between the two nations in 24 years, and the winner will face either France or Spain in the final. The defending champions against a side chasing their first final since 1966.

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