Switzerland-Colombia    (half-won)

On paper, many people will naturally focus on Colombia’s star winger Luis Díaz, but the player who could truly shift the balance of this match may be Switzerland’s 20-year-old John Manzambi.

Manzambi has made huge progress with Freiburg in the Bundesliga this season. He is not just a young attacking talent with energy and movement. What makes him special is his tactical flexibility. In the second half of the club season, he was used more often in a deeper midfield role, which helped him improve his reading of the game, defensive positioning, ball circulation and transitions.

At club level, he has already delivered in important moments. He played a key role in Freiburg’s historic run to a European final and scored a decisive goal in the second leg of the Europa League semi-final. He was later named the tournament’s best young player of the season. Now, on the World Cup stage, he has continued that rise, scoring three goals and becoming the first Swiss player since Xherdan Shaqiri to reach that mark in a single World Cup.

With Embolo, Ndoye, Vargas and Manzambi, Switzerland have a balanced attacking group. They can threaten going forward, but they also work hard without the ball and drop back into the team structure. Colombia may have more individual flair, but Switzerland’s discipline, collective shape and Manzambi’s breakout form give them a real chance to stay close in this matchup.

Pick: Switzerland +0.25