Euro 2024: Switzerland Could Join Germany to the Knockouts

Switzerland vs Germany

With two wins to start their Euro 2024 campaign, Germany are already through to the knockout phase of the tournament, and Switzerland can join them as soon as Sunday night.

Germany have six points to lead Group A, while Switzerland are right behind them with four, and Scotland and Hungary have one and zero, respectively. A win or a draw for Switzerland guarantees their passage to the next round, while a loss could complicate things for them.

Scotland can leapfrog Switzerland by beating Hungary, although they need to win by a huge margin to cover for their goal difference deficit against Switzerland.

Can the Swiss get the job done this weekend? Or will Germany do the Scots a favour? Without further ado, continue reading below for our SBOTOP preview.

 

Talking Points

Embolo could start anew for Switzerland, Schar questionable

Murat Yakin has deployed two different frontlines in their games against Hungary and Scotland, which has given them mixed Euro 2024 results. After beating Hungary by a score of 3-1, Switzerland were held to a 1-1 draw against Scotland last night.

Michel Aebischer has been one of the standout performers for the Swiss, but they could do much better, especially in the later rounds, if long-time striker Breel Embolo fully regains his bearings in this tournament.

The AS Monaco man came off the bench in the first two games because he struggled with his fitness, but he had decent performances, including an added-time goal against Hungary.

If Embolo is 100-per cent healthy on Sunday, Murat Yakin will have to at least consider starting him against the Germans.

Meanwhile, Fabian Schar is given the questionable tag after he broke his nose a la Kylian Mbappe against Scotland. To his credit, the Newcastle United centre-back finished the game despite this.

Switzerland cannot afford to lose Schar in the knockout stages, so we won’t be surprised if Murat Yakin gives him the day off on Sunday. If this happens, expect Nico Elvedi to take his spot in the starting XI.

 

Nagelsmann might rest certain Germany starters

Despite having no reported injuries to their squad, Julian Nagelsmann could be forced to rotate his squad against Switzerland because of the tournament’s booking rules.

Two yellow cards warrant a one-match ban, which will be wiped clean after the quarter-finals, so Germany might miss as many as four important players in the Round of 16 if they aren’t careful.

Jonathan Tah and Robert Andrich got their first yellows against Scotland, while Antonio Rudiger and Maximilian Mittelstadt were also booked against Hungary.

If Nagelsmann benches them all, we might see the likes of Nico Schlotterbeck, Waldemar Anton, and David Raum play in Euro 2024 for the first time, while Chris Fuhrich might draw a rare start in midfield.

 

History

Switzerland and Germany are set to square off at a major tournament for the first time since the 1966 World Cup group stage, when the latter defeated the former with a score of 5-0. Before that, Germany also beat Switzerland 2-1 in the group stage of the 1962 World Cup.

However, Switzerland are undefeated in their last three matches against Germany (W1, D2), with their last win a 5-3 result at an international friendly in May 2012. Overall, those three matches produced 16 goals between these two nations.

The last time Germany were held scoreless against Switzerland was a goalless draw in an April 1968 exhibition game. Die Mannschaft have scored in 52 of their 53 matches against the Rossocrociati in all competitions.

Germany are aiming to become the third host country to win all three of their group stage games at a single Euros after the Netherlands in 2000 and France in 1984. However, Switzerland are unbeaten in their last eight final group stage games (W5, D3).

 

Betting Tip

The Euro 2024 odds expect Germany to win on Sunday even if they don’t have to since they are already through to the next round. Die Mannschaft are 1.76 favourites, whereas the Rossocrociati are 4.39 underdogs, and a draw is priced at 3.63 in the 1X2 market.

Even if Julian Nagelsmann rotates his pack, Germany are still oozing in quality compared to Switzerland, so backing them to win is a surefire bet.

Based on their recent encounters, football fans can expect a high-scoring affair between these two sides. So, other than our recommended bet above, you may also want to go for Over 2.50 at 1.83, Over 2.75 at 2.06, Total Goal 2-3 at 1.93, or even Total Goal 4-6 at 3.09 as alternative options.

   

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