No goal in 120 minutes. Not because the match lacked quality — both sides created genuine chances — but because the tactical foundations were too solid, the goalkeepers too sharp, and neither side was willing to leave themselves exposed. In the end, Gregor Kobel made the save that mattered, and Switzerland went through.
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The Formations: 4-3-3 vs 4-1-2-3
Switzerland set up in a 4-3-3. Granit Xhaka anchored a three-man midfield alongside Remo Freuler and Ardon Jashari, with Fabian Rieder and Dan Ndoye providing the width. Breel Embolo operated as the lone striker. The most notable selection was Denis Zakaria at right-back — a midfielder by trade, deployed defensively for very specific tactical reasons.
Colombia lined up in a 4-1-2-3. Jefferson Lerma held the single pivot position, with Jhon Arias and Gustavo Puerta as the two box-to-box midfielders ahead of him. Luis Díaz started on the left wing, James Rodríguez on the right, and Luis Suárez as the central striker.
Zakaria at Right-Back — The Díaz Decision
The selection of Zakaria at right-back was the most deliberate tactical call Yakin made all match. Luis Díaz is Colombia’s most dangerous attacker — fast, direct, capable of creating from nothing. By placing a physically imposing defensive midfielder at right-back rather than a natural full-back, Switzerland sacrificed some attacking output on that flank in exchange for a defender who could match Díaz’s intensity and body.
It worked. Díaz had moments — most notably the bicycle kick attempt in the 39th minute — but never dominated the duel. Zakaria tracked him relentlessly, stayed close enough to deny the first touch, and when Díaz did get behind him, recovered quickly enough to delay until cover arrived. James Rodríguez on the opposite side faced Ricardo Rodríguez, whose experience helped him manage the Colombian captain’s creativity without committing recklessly.
Switzerland’s Midfield Three vs Colombia’s Single Pivot
Colombia’s 4-1-2-3 leaves Lerma as the only midfielder in the deepest position. Switzerland’s 4-3-3 gives Xhaka, Freuler, and Jashari numerical superiority in the midfield zone. The structural question was whether Arias and Puerta could press high enough to negate that advantage.
The answer was partially yes — Colombia’s two box-to-box players worked hard to press Switzerland’s build-up, and for extended periods Xhaka was forced sideways rather than forward. But Switzerland’s patient circulation eventually found pockets. Rieder’s 29th-minute volley, driven from a tight angle after finding space between Colombia’s pressing line and the back four, showed what Switzerland were capable of when the midfield structure created the opening.
Colombia were sharper in transition. Puerta’s 21st-minute curling strike — which forced Kobel into a flying save — came off a quick ball into the channel after Switzerland lost possession. Lerma’s positioning allowed Colombia to break quickly once the ball was won, with Díaz and James operating as the acceleration on each wing.
The Chances That Refused to Go In
Ndoye’s 90th-minute effort — dragging his shot inches wide of the far post after latching onto a loose ball — was the match’s defining near-miss in regular time. Switzerland were the hungrier side late in the second half, and that moment would have sent them through without the drama of extra time.
Extra time produced Lucumí’s crossbar — a completely unmarked header from a corner, the kind of chance that simply has to go in. Six minutes later, substitute Amdouni found space on the edge of the box and forced Vargas into a sharp block. Then Xhaka’s 115th-minute error sent Campaz clean through — and Campaz blazed it over. Four genuine chances across extra time. Zero goals.
Kobel — The Shootout and the Save That Won It
Everything in the tactical breakdown points to a match in which no single player decided the outcome. Then the penalties came. Davinson Sánchez hit the crossbar. Akanji blazed over. Three misses in total across the shootout — but Kobel’s save from Cucho Hernández in round four was the moment that shifted the balance permanently. He read the direction correctly, got across, and blocked it. Switzerland converted the next two penalties and went through.
The tactical shape that Yakin built — the compact block, Zakaria on Díaz, the midfield numerical advantage — kept Switzerland in a position to win. Kobel’s save made sure they did.
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