Manzambi and Vargas fire Switzerland past Bosnia 4–1

Manzambi and Vargas run Bosnia off the pitch

Switzerland 4–1 Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the night belonged to the substitutes. Murat Yakin sent on Johan Manzambi and Rubén Vargas in the second half with the score still goalless, and the pair delivered four goals between them (12). Manzambi got two, Vargas got two, and your team moved to 4 points in Group B with one match left (2) (3) (6). The Swiss press called it exactly what it was, Joker zaubern auf, the substitutes put on a show (12).

Manzambi now linked to Arsenal

A two-goal World Cup performance will do that. Johan Manzambi is already being talked about as a potential Martin Ødegaard successor at Arsenal after his display against Bosnia (13). One report frames the 23-year-old Freiburg midfielder as the kind of creative engine Arsenal might target if Ødegaard moves on (13). Manzambi has not commented. The noise will only grow if Switzerland advance.

Xhaka with a message, and a gesture

Granit Xhaka heard the criticism after the Qatar draw. After the Bosnia win, he made it clear he was not about to forget it. "Es gibt Menschen, die nicht mit Kritik umgehen können," Xhaka said after the match, there are people who cannot handle criticism (4) (15). German outlet t-online described it as a pointed gesture aimed squarely at his detractors (4). Another report called it provocative and direct (5). Xhaka did not name names. He did not need to.

Fan reactions

Switzerland fans on Reddit are fully on the Manzambi train. The match thread lit up after his 75th-minute opener broke the deadlock, and by the final whistle the mood had swung from nerves to something close to euphoria. Read the match thread.