Argentina vs Switzerland Preview & Tips - Messi to lead Argentina into World Cup semi-final

Switzerland needed penalties to eventually beat Colombia as they secured their place in the quarter-finals on the back of a nervy performance. 

These wins have since made way for far more difficult 3-2 victories over Cape Verde and Egypt. Against Cape Verde, Argentina were pegged back twice before eventually triumphing in extra time. Against Egypt, Argentina were 2-0 down and on their way out of the tournament before a late salvo saw the world champions storm to three unanswered goals between the 79th and 92nd minutes. 

While things have not been perfect for Argentina of late, they are getting the job done. Lionel Messi continues to find the back of the net with alarming regularity. His hat-trick in Argentina's opener was followed by a brace against Austria and a goal in each of his next three. While the Swiss will almost certainly look to be tough to score against as they try to keep Argentina honest, I do not see Messi failing to find the back of the net as he leads his side into the World Cup semi-finals.

Their 1-1 draw with Qatar in their opener was followed by a comfortable 4-1 win over Bosnia. They have since beaten Canada (2-1) and Algeria (2-0), while their win over Colombia came via penalties. 

Their Round of 16 match saw both sides desperate they ensured they did not lose. The lack of a side clearly playing to win saw their clash with Colombia join Spain vs Portugal as the only two Round of 16 matches that failed to really inspire. 

Stopping Argentina from playing their game will be Switzerland's focus, but the former arrive with a lot more attacking weapons than Colombia. With this in mind, I predict that the Swiss will slip out of the World Cup on the back of a loss to the world champions.