Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Six teams are in action in Matchday 22 of the FIFA World Cup on Friday morning.
Portugal face Croatia in one of the most-anticipated Round of 32 clashes at 4:45 am, while the 2010 champions Spain take on Austria at 12:45 am. Switzerland and Algeria meet for the first time in world football at 8:45 am.
Spain vs Austria
Spain, the 2010 world champions, arrive in the knockout phase in commanding form after topping Group H with seven points. Following a slow start with a 0-0 draw against Cape Verde, Spain responded emphatically with a 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia and a narrow 1-0 victory against Uruguay. Spain are yet to concede in the group stage, which underlines their strong defensive lineup.
Austria, on the other hand, qualified as runners-up with four points. Although Austria opened their campaign with a 3-1 win over Jordan, they were humbled 2-0 by Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina. They played a 3-3 draw with Algeria to pip their African opponent to third position.
Spain are unbeaten in their last five meetings against Austria, with four wins and a draw.
Portugal vs Croatia
Portugal enter the knockout stage after finishing runners-up in Group K with five points. Although taken as one of the contenders to lift the title, Portugal opened the campaign with a 1-1 stalemate against DR Congo before humbling Uzbekistan 5-0. However, they played out a goalless draw against Colombia in the last group-stage fixture.
Croatia, on the other hand, progressed to the Round of 32 with two wins and one loss. After suffering a 2-4 defeat to England, they bounced back strongly with a 1-0 win over Panama and a 2-1 victory against Ghana to secure qualification.
Portugal are ahead on head-to-head, winning seven out of 10 previous matches. Croatia has won one match, while the two sides have drawn twice.
Switzerland vs Algeria
Switzerland head into their Round of 32 clash as one of the more consistent teams of the group stage. They topped Group B unbeaten with seven points, recovering from a dour 1-1 draw against Qatar. They then beat Bosnia-Herzegovina 4-1 before seeing off co-hosts Canada 2-1.
Algeria, in contrast, had a difficult group campaign. The African side opened their World Cup campaign with a 0-3 defeat to Argentina. Although they won their next fixture with Jordan 2-1, they played a thrilling 3-3 draw against Austria. They, however, progressed to the knockout phase as one of the best eight third-placed teams.
This will be the first meeting between Algeria and Switzerland.
