Switzerland had to quickly put the trouble of Copenhagen behind them. The next, even more difficult test in the Nations League against the European champions Spain follows on Sunday in Geneva.
On Friday, the players enjoyed a day of rest and travel with the short flight to Geneva. They were able to use this time to clear their heads after the turbulent first match after the European Championships, which caused quite a few nerves. The Swiss team will have to show their sober side against the European champions at the Stade de Genève in order to avoid a false start to the Nations League.
Even if the game in Denmark ended in a hectic atmosphere and with nothing but Swiss frustration, there were also positives to build on. For large parts of the first half, the build-up play and pressing were reminiscent of the performances at the European Championships. Gregor Kobel made a good debut in goal as Yann Sommer's successor. It was noticeable how confidently he combined with his defenders using his foot. A key point in Murat Yakin's tactical plan.
Against Spain, Switzerland will above all have to create more moments of surprise in attack. The injured Dan Ndoye was so absent as a source of inspiration that he can now be classified as indispensable. On Sunday evening, the Swiss could benefit from the fact that Spain are also under pressure after their goalless draw in Serbia. Lamine Yamal's team gritted their teeth against the defensive-minded Serbs and will ensure a more open game than the Danes, who were withdrawn for a long time.
Still no home win against Spain
Switzerland will host the title holders for the third time in a row in their first meeting after the European Championship. In 2016 there was a 2-0 win against Portugal and in 2021 a goalless draw against Italy. The SFA team have not had a bad experience with Spain, who were Switzerland's opponents par excellence for years. Since the sensational success at the 2010 World Cup, there has been one more win, three draws and two defeats, with the most painful defeat - in the quarter-finals of the 2021 European Championship - being a draw in purely statistical terms.
"We're looking forward to this game against the European champions," said Breel Embolo, who scored the winning goal in the 2-1 Nations League victory in Zaragoza almost exactly two years ago. It was only their second success against Spain. A home win is still missing in the almost 100-year history of Swiss-Spanish international duels, whose record from a Swiss perspective remains clearly negative with 17 defeats.
The starting position for the first home win against Spain in the sold-out Stade de Genève does not seem ideal with the absences of Nico Elvedi and, above all, captain Granit Xhaka, who have to serve their suspensions. Embolo does not want to use the absence of the Leverkusen playmaker, who has been nominated for the Ballon d'Or, as a possible excuse. "We'll miss him a lot, of course. But we have enough width in our squad. We have other players who are hungry and want to show themselves."
Zakaria's chance
There are many alternatives to Xhaka in Murat Yakin's squad, such as Vincent Sierro or Denis Zakaria. The latter has made an impressive start to the season as captain of Monaco and could be particularly valuable against Spain with his physicality and penetration. Zakaria is undoubtedly one of the hungry players mentioned by Embolo, having only played 22 minutes at the European Championships due to injury. He was on the pitch for just under half an hour against Denmark.
It is possible that Yakin, who used all of his regular players from the European Championship quarter-final against England against Denmark, will line up a little more innovatively against Spain. He has players in good form at his disposal in attack. Joël Monteiro and Renato Steffen have already shown this season that they can make the difference internationally. Switzerland could do with some offensive impetus so that the good combination play can be converted into goals.
Videos from the department
SDA
