Euro 2024: Scotland x Switzerland, Match Preview, Team News, Odds and Predictions(19/06/2024)

The two sides vying for a top-two spot, Switzerland and Scotland, will square off in Group A at RheinEnergieStadion. Scotland will have to do it without suspended defender Ryan Porteous if they are to bounce back from their crushing 5-1 defeat to Germany. Centre-back Grant Hanley of Norwich City is thus highly predicted to start against the Rossocrociati.

By contrast, the Swiss performed exceptionally in their 3-1 victory against Hungary. Murat Yakin's club is well-balanced, with a complete squad available to the former Basel ace. Hence, an away win should be considered. Scotland beat Switzerland 1-0 in their meeting in the 1996 European Championship finals, so the nominal visitors are itching for retaliation. As usual, a guy to watch on the away team will be Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka, who had a fantastic Bundesliga season.

Scotland x Switzerland Team News

The Scotland team that lost 5-1 to Germany will undoubtedly see at least one alteration. After giving up the first-half penalty that Kai Havertz converted to make it 3-0, Ryan Porteous was substituted. The centre-back possibilities are Liam Cooper, Grant Hanley, and Scott McKenna. Hanley will probably start, as he replaced Che Adams at halftime.

Although Lawrence Shankland was chosen ahead of Adams, considering his form entering the competition, there may be a change. If not, Scotland may remain unchanged, with Steve Clarke having his preferences. But Billy Gilmour, starting in midfield, would hope to give Scotland a little more control, elevating Scott McTominay.

Regarding squad news for the second game, much may depend on the outcomes of the first games, but the 3-4-3/5-2-2-1 system will stay in place, at least initially.

Scotland will play much of its game down the left, with Andy Robertson being overlapped by Kieran Tierney if he is healthy and McGinn and McTominay splitting the duty of making late runs into the box. Lewis Ferguson of Bologna will be a significant loss in midfield, so Brighton's Billy Gilmour will probably have to attempt to add some calmness in possession and keep the back door shut. Additionally, demonstrating his flexibility this season with Bournemouth is Ryan Christie.

The most probable starting up front, Dykes (shown in the illustrative line-up graphic below), has been declared out after a Friday training ground injury. The possible successor is Che Adams.

The Swiss front line is competing rather versatilely. It would be unexpected to see Kwadwo Duah demoted to the bench after winning the nod ahead of Breel Embolo and Zeki Amdouni and repaying the trust.

Xherdan Shaqiri was an unused substitute, and considering how Switzerland performed in their opening, it may stay that way for now. Behind Duah were Ruben Vargas and Dan Ndoye. There will be no changes at the back, as Ricardo Rodriguez, Manuel Akanji, and Fabian Schar appear formidable.

Head To Head And Previous Matches

Scotland and Switzerland will square off on June 19 at 8 PM at the Cologne Stadium in Cologne in the second round of Euro 2024 group stage games.

With goals from Kwadwo Duah and Michel Aebischer, Switzerland virtually won their match against Hungary in the first half. However, things were nervous after Barnabas Varga's second-half goal, and in extra time, Breel Embolo clinched Switzerland's triumph.

With the goal, Embolo became the second player for Switzerland to score in three different tournaments, after Xherdan Shaqiri (five), having scored in the past three major international competitions. Just Shaqiri (nine) and Josef Hugi (six) have scored more goals for the Swiss in big tournaments than Embolo, who has four in those three.

In recent years, this tradition has hardly ever been yet to be observed in international circles. Squawka is still unsure whether there is any covert friendship between the Scottish and Swiss FAs, but in the last thirty years, the two nations have only met twice. Once in a 2006 friendly, Switzerland won. Once in the Euro '96 group stages, Ally McCoist's goal seemed to be securing Scotland's qualification until England gave away a late consolation goal to Holland in their historic 4-1 triumph.

Our Predictions

Switzerland to win @ 1.86 on Sky247.ng

Switzerland defeated Hungary 3-1 in Cologne to open Euro 2024 in style, and they will play Scotland at the same venue on Wednesday. The Swiss should benefit from playing in the same venue as they continue to become used to this competition and understand that a position in the next round is guaranteed with three points in midweek.

With a 5-1 defeat to Germany in the tournament opener, Scotland was utterly destroyed. Though they never anticipated being able to match the Germans, that blow to their goal differential gives them a mountain to climb before a game they must win.

Ndoye to score anytime @3.25 on Sky247.ng

Most talk about Switzerland competing was on their returning senior players. But young players propelled their victory against Hungary. Though Dan Ndoye was a fantastic supporting player, Kwadwo Duah scored the first goal.

Recalling the Scotland game, the offensive midfield players overran the Scottish defenders. Apart from goal scorers Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala, Leroy Sane had many chances after coming off the bench. Ndoye can get into such situations this week after displaying much more offensive intent than in Serie A this season.

After scoring against Napoli to cap off a stellar season, the Bologna midfielder had three shots against Hungary, all in vain. He should get more opportunities at Cologne, and it is very cheap to expose a depth-constrained and injury-prone Scottish defence.

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