Argentina 3-1 Switzerland (AET): Scaloni’s champions survive again

Here we go: Argentina 3-1 Switzerland after extra time, Lionel Scaloni’s holders back in the World Cup semi-finals and still reliant on late solutions. Alexis Mac Allister opened the scoring in the 10th minute, Dan Ndoye levelled in the 67th minute, and it took Julián Álvarez in the 112th minute plus Lautaro Martínez in the 120th minute to finally shake off Murat Yakin’s stubborn side.

Match story

Argentina’s 4-1-3-2 gave Lionel Messi licence to drift inside and feed runners. The move paid off quickly: his threaded ball freed Mac Allister to score in the 10th minute. Yet Scaloni’s team allowed the tempo to drop, Switzerland’s 4-2-3-1 narrowing around Granit Xhaka and Remo Freuler. Breel Embolo bullied the back line until his first booking for a foul in the 44th minute. After the interval, Ricardo Rodríguez stepped up from left back, sliding Ndoye through for the equaliser in the 67th minute.

The true hinge came five minutes later. Embolo chased contact he never got, collected a second yellow for simulation, and the red at 72 minutes forced Yakin to rip up his plan. Switzerland retreated into a 4-4-1 block, withdrawing Ndoye, Fabian Rieder and Djibril Sow at 86 minutes to introduce Zeki Amdouni, Miro Muheim and Silvan Widmer for fresh legs, before Eray Cömert replaced Rodríguez in stoppage time. A final roll of the dice saw Ardon Jashari come on for Denis Zakaria at 96 minutes and Rubén Vargas replace Freuler in the 115th, leaving Xhaka to marshal the base alone.

Scaloni’s bench eventually told. Nicolás González replaced Nicolás Tagliafico in the 78th minute to keep width on the left, Gonzalo Montiel and Lautaro Martínez arrived in the 85th minute to push Argentina into a lopsided 3-2-5, and Thiago Almada entered at 91 minutes to add ball circulation despite picking up a yellow in the 97th minute. Nicolás Otamendi for Cristian Romero in the 106th minute was about calmer distribution, but José Manuel López for Leandro Paredes in the 110th minute changed the match outright. López immediately provided the assist for Álvarez two minutes later, arriving between the lines to slip the striker through. He then drew the ire of Switzerland, collecting his own yellow in the 114th minute during the ensuing argument.

With Switzerland chasing, Argentina capitalised. Lautaro Martínez, already booked in the 98th minute, stayed on and settled the tie with a composed finish in the 120th minute, the final act of extra time.

Tactical snapshot

• Argentina (4-1-3-2, Lionel Scaloni): Messi and Mac Allister operated as dual playmakers, while Leandro Paredes anchored the midfield. Once Switzerland went down to ten, Scaloni shifted into a back three in possession, González pinning the touchline so Messi could dictate centrally. López’s cameo restored a second striker profile that Álvarez needed for combination play.
• Switzerland (4-2-3-1, Murat Yakin): Xhaka and Freuler initially controlled the rhythm, pushing Rodríguez high to overload Tagliafico. After Embolo’s dismissal, Yakin prioritised compactness, turning to Widmer, Muheim and Amdouni to defend the flanks and trusting Vargas late on as the lone outlet. The structure held until fatigue exposed the half-spaces.

Key performers

• Lionel Messi: Six key passes, one assist, endless provocation of Swiss fouls. Even without scoring, he set the tone.
• Alexis Mac Allister: Scored the opener, pressed Xhaka intelligently, stayed on the pitch for all 120 minutes.
• Julián Álvarez: Worked relentlessly, finally rewarded with the 112th-minute goal that broke the resistance.
• Ricardo Rodríguez: Switzerland’s best outlet, assisting Ndoye and defending bravely before his 90+5 minute withdrawal.

Discipline

• Breel Embolo: yellow for a foul in the 44th minute, second yellow for simulation in the 72nd minute, immediate red.
• Thiago Almada: yellow for a foul in the 97th minute.
• Lautaro Martínez: yellow for a foul in the 98th minute.
• José Manuel López: yellow for arguing in the 114th minute.

Key stats

• Shots: Argentina 22, Switzerland 11.
• On target: Argentina 7, Switzerland 5.
• Possession: Argentina 59 percent, Switzerland 41 percent.
• Expected goals: Argentina 2.00, Switzerland 0.53.
• Pass completion: Argentina 89 percent, Switzerland 84 percent.

What comes next

Argentina march into the semi-finals for the third consecutive major tournament. They now prepare to face England on 15 July, with Scaloni needing to manage the load on Messi and Mac Allister after 120 minutes in Kansas City. Switzerland exit with credit, their structure and spite reaffirmed, but Yakin will replay Embolo’s rash 72nd-minute dive all summer.