Germany to squeak past neighbours Switzerland
Germany's narrow, gifted triumph away in Ukraine has cemented second place in their UEFA Nations League pool. To have any chance of leapfrogging Spain, they must win in all of their remaining matches, continuing on Tuesday evening against a stout but toothless Switzerland. Read our preview here:
Die Mannschaft stuck in second gear, but...
It's fair to say that Jogi Löw's men were not at their best in Kiev at the weekend, and had a huge slice of fortune to thank in coming back west with all three points. None of their recent performances have evoked memories of how they were before that fateful, shambolic 'effort' at the last World Cup. Nevertheless, there is a renewed vigour and verve emanating from the more youthful players in their ranks, and that's guile which will be key to unlocking a resolute, tight Swiss defence. Wing-backs Lukas Klostermann and Marcel Halstenberg will be tasked with moving upfield quickly with purpose and supplying Serge Gnabry. Making the opposition wider defensively ought to be the best route for victory.
Shaqiri will try everything
As often seems to be the case with the landlocked country in footballing terms, they are currently being defined more for punching above their weight with resoluteness than for anything offensive. Results in a tricky group have only served to reinforce that viewpoint. There is no shortage of talent in the squad, but nobody in the likely starting lineup who can be safely relied upon to get the goals. However, dead ball situations or long-range efforts are a different proposition entirely. Bit-part player for Liverpool he might be, but for his national team, Xherdan Shaqiri is arguably still the talisman. With a record of one in four for Rossocrociati, he is the one who could conjure up something special against a rather ordinary German backline.
Immovable objects
Tactically, it will be a test of both sides' resolves for different reasons. If Löw can't force his way through the five-man defence, how much onus will he put on committing more and more players forward? There's always a chance for Switzerland to claim at least a goal on the counter or through Shaqiri, and a higher level of performance is required for Germany to continue to put at least some theoretical pressure on Spain at the summit. Another tight affair is in the offing, and that's why a margin of victory of a single strike at odds of 3.75 with bet365 looks more than ideal.
