Breel Embolo cannot find a way out of his slump. Against Serbia, he first misses a hundred percent chance to score and then fails to score from the penalty spot. Nati coach Murat Yakin says after the game that Embolo was not supposed to take the penalty, but also protects the striker.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Breel Embolo is still waiting for his first goal after his eighth competitive match this season.
- In Serbia, the goalscorer missed a mega chance and failed to score from the penalty spot - although he was not supposed to take the penalty, as Murat Yakin made clear.
- "He took responsibility, so you can't be angry with him," said the national team coach.
Breakdowns, bad luck and mishaps for Breel Embolo in the 2-0 defeat in Serbia. Because he kept slipping, he first had to change his shoes. Then he shoots the ball past the goal from nine meters, completely unmarked. When he conceded the 0:1 goal, he lost his bearings in the penalty area and turned away, even though the ball was heading straight for him. At 0:2, it is he who loses the ball in the attack and before he stands in the way of Andi Zeqiri's seemingly certain follow-up goal, Embolo also misses a penalty.
The Monaco striker thus remains without a goal in his eighth competitive match of the season. The self-confidence that had made Embolo so strong in his younger years seems to have been blown away these days. It seems as if he is trying to force a sense of achievement. He grabs the ball for the penalty, even though he has hardly managed anything this game.
"Embolo wasn't meant to be the penalty taker," Murat Yakin made clear after the game. But the national team coach is not angry with the 27-year-old. "He tried to find the moment of happiness for himself. He took responsibility, so you can't be angry with him."
He does not want to criticize Embolo publicly, but wants to address things internally, said Yakin. "It's bitter for him. He was very remorseful after the game and apologized." Making a player a scapegoat now is useless. "He's a good kid, he puts in the work and looks for his moment of happiness. It'll come right again at some point."
Nati remain in a penalty dilemma
So who should take the penalties for the national team? Rodriguez, for years confident from the spot, no longer wants to take the penalty after several failed attempts. Shaqiri was also a sure shooter, but is no longer there.
Yakin: "Granit (Xhaka) and Manu (Akanji) can decide who shoots in the game. If they don't want to start themselves, they can decide for themselves." As a reminder: Akanji was the only player to miss in the European Championship quarter-final against England and also failed to score in the penalty shoot-out against Spain at Euro 2021. Xhaka suffered the same fate in the penalty shoot-out against Poland in the 2016 European Championship round of 16.
The national team remains in a penalty dilemma. It will be interesting to see who tries next. The pressure on the scorer will be huge anyway, because after three defeats in the Nations League, the Nati are now doomed to win if they want to stay in League A. The second clash against Denmark will take place in St.Gallen on Tuesday.