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Jesse Marsch wants his Canada team to play on the front foot, and that means attacking quickly and directly down the wings.

It’s a style that consistently wins them a high corner count, as proven by the fact that they have picked up 14 across their two matches to date. They earned an incredible 19 corners in their last match against Qatar, having won nine in the first half alone against Bosnia.

They have been relentless in the number of corners they have won this year, never dipping below seven corners in any of the seven matches they have played in 2026.

Nottingham Forest winger Ndoye has been Switzerland’s most prolific attacker in terms of shots at the World Cup, with 10 efforts, including a country-high four on target.

He tends to start on the left and drift into the middle, which should suit him in this matchup against Canada right-back Alistair Johnston. An aggressive defender by nature, Johnston sits on a booking and will be suspended for the next round if he picks up another caution.

With Alphonso Davies unlikely to be fit to start, Canada will be weaker than usual down this channel, and Ndoye is perfectly placed to exploit this.

Switzerland have a reputation for being a stuffy side, but that hasn’t been evident over the course of the last season.

Indeed, across the 12 games they have played, 10 of these have produced at least two goals (with the other 2 ending 0-0). Canada, who have scored in five of their last six, will take an attacking mindset into this game and will be confident after netting six against Qatar.

The Swiss, meanwhile, have scored 10 goals across their last four internationals but have failed to keep a clean sheet in this time, setting this fixture up to be a thriller.

With three fouls committed during the World Cup, no Swiss player has made more indiscretions than Rodriguez. This should come as little surprise.

He has committed 1+ fouls in five of the last seven competitive matches for the Nati. In this game, he will go face-to-face with Canada’s Tajon Buchanan, who has been on the receiving end of most fouls for the co-hosts, earning 3.13 per 90.

Buchanan has been fouled on at least one occasion in six of the last seven competitive games for club and country when he has played for more than an hour.

After a disappointing opening game, David roared back to form in the 6-0 win over Qatar, unlocked by being paired with Cyle Larin in attack.

Not only did he score a hat-trick, but he was also a persistent threat to goal, with eight shots and five on target. Even when he disappointed against Bosnia, he had one effort on target and three shots. The Larin factor here should not be underestimated: with the Southampton man the designated link player, David will be left to focus on getting efforts on goal.

Against the weakest teams in the group, Switzerland have allowed a total of seven shots on target, and Canada, and David in particular, should stretch them more.

Both teams to score has been a standard outcome for Switzerland in recent matches, with seven of their eight games dating back to November seeing both sides find the target.

This is a byproduct of a defence that has only managed to keep one clean sheet in its last eight matches. Canada will exploit this. Not only are they high in confidence after scoring 6 against Qatar, but they have also netted in six of their last seven, showing an ability to score consistently.

In competitive action, the Canadians have scored in nine of their last 10. With Switzerland having scored in 10 of their last 12 (including 3+ on 6 occasions), this is a game set up to produce goals.

Canada are an excellent price to avoid defeat in this match, particularly given they have home advantage. This is a side that has largely forgotten what it’s like to lose.

Dating back to their 2024 Copa America campaign, they have lost only one game in their last 20 overall through 90 minutes. By contrast, the form of the Swiss has been somewhat unimpressive.

They have only picked up three wins across their last nine games, with two of these coming at home. Their victory over Bosnia last time out ended a run of five games outside Switzerland in which they had failed to win.

Yellow cards will be wiped after the group stages, so anyone who is not already on a caution will be able to pick up one ‘free’ when making a tactical foul.

It could change how the Canadian midfield, in particular, approaches this game. With three of their defenders walking a tightrope, it could be that they are protected by fouls from the midfield.

Additionally, Canada will look to get players forward, leaving them exposed on the break and, therefore, forced into conceding the type of foul liable to be punished with a booking.

Canada had been on a four-game run with 2+ cards before Qatar, when a combination of their opponents’ implosion and timidness meant there was no need for them to be combative.

A game-changing presence off the bench for Switzerland against Bosnia, the Freiburg midfielder surely needs to be brought into the starting XI after scoring two in his previous outing.

While he has a massive shot volume at club level (2.21 shots per 90 in the Bundesliga), he tends to be deployed in a far more attacking role with the national team, allowing him to get into better positions while maintaining his strong shooting figures (3.28 per 90 in the qualifying campaign).

He has only played 45 minutes of football in the World Cup but has four shots and two on target, while his contribution last time out should ensure he starts this game. His freshness should play into his hands to get a high shot volume here.