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World Cup Preview: Colombia faces England, Sweden battles Swiss to conclude Round of 16

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With only two spots remaining in next weekend’s quarterfinals, the 2018 FIFA World Cup will be saying goodbye to two more teams on Tuesday.

The headlining match will see England battle Colombia to end the day’s action in Moscow. Gareth Southgate’s side are coming off a 1-0 defeat to Belgium in their final group stage match, but have many starters fresh for this tie. Colombia used a pair of impressive group stage wins to top Group H.

Sweden will seek their first quarterfinals appearance since 1994, where they finished third in the United States. After a 3-0 trouncing of Mexico, the Swedes are on good form. Their opponents will be Switzerland who did not suffer defeat in the group stage.

Here’s a look ahead to Tuesday’s action at the 2018 FIFA World Cup:

Sweden vs. Switzerland – 10 a.m. (FOX, Telemundo)

Two underdogs will square up in the first match of Tuesday’s slate with Sweden facing Switzerland in St. Petersburg.

The Swedes snatched two wins in the group stage and overall finished first in Group F. Defensively they are solid after keeping two clean sheets against Mexico and South Korea. Celtic wingback Mikael Lustig and captain Andreas Granqvist headline the backline, while midfielder Emil Forsberg will look to run the show. Forwards Ola Toivonen and Marcus Berg will need to do their jobs as well after combining for only one goal between them so far.

Switzerland has had an impressive World Cup so far, being able to take points in all three of their matches so far. A 2-1 win over Serbia saw playmakers Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri get on the scoresheet. Those two will be important for the Swiss against Sweden, but overall as a team they’ve seen five different players score goals. Borussia Monchengladbach keeper Yann Sommer is also a tough man to beat between the posts.

Colombia vs. England – 2 p.m. (FOX, Telemundo)

Tuesday’s conclusion sees Colombia battle England in Moscow with American referee Mark Geiger in charge of the match.

Colombia ended their group stage on a high note with a pair of clean sheet wins over Poland and Senegal respectively. Offensively, they’ve seen all of their big guns get on the scoresheet so far in Russia. Radamel Falcao and Juan Cuadrado each have a goal apiece, while James Rodriguez and Juan Quintero each has two assists. The centerback pairing of Davinson Sanchez and Yerry Mina have caused numerous problems for opposing teams, and they will seek to shut down England’s Harry Kane on Tuesday.

The Three Lions may have finished second in Group G, but are well rested for this showdown. Led by the Tottenham forward Kane, England will seek their first quarterfinals appearance since 2010. Kane has five goals in two matches and is in good form right now for his team. Defensively, wingbacks Kieran Trippier and Danny Rose will be key at limiting service into the box from Colombia’s wide threats. Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard will be good secondary options if Kane cannot get on the scoresheet.

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