Inferior Swiss to be beaten on home soil
With both sides in need of a victory if they are to kick on in League A, this fixture looks mouthwatering between two neighbouring countries. Switzerland were defeated at the hands of Ukraine on Thursday, with the Germans being pegged back late on by unlikely goalscorer Jose Gaya. The Swiss made the semifinal stage at the inaugural UEFA Nations League and so will be confident they can spring a surprise. With often little importance given to matches in this competition it would not be a shock to see an experimental lineup for Joachim Low.
Recent fortunes
With the huge break in international football due to COVID-19 it can be hard to grasp how big of an impact previous encounters will have on proceedings. Though it must be said that Germany looked sharp in their 1-1 draw with Spain, with Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea producing a man of the match display to save Luis Enrique’s men’s blushes.
There has been an emergence of Swiss talent in recent seasons particularly in Bundesliga clubs. Wolfsburg alone has been home to two excellent Swiss performers in Kevin Mbabu and Renato Steffen. Then there is steely midfielders like Granit Xhaka and Denis Zakaria that have the power and control to grab a foothold in the game, despite the gulf in class between the two lineups.
World class machine?
When Leon Goretzka was snatched from Schalke from Bayern Munich it could not have been foreseen the physique and style of play he would undertake. He has gone from a nippy engine in the midfield to a muscular deeper lying playmaker, able to dictate play from any position across the pitch. His lofted pass for Serge Gnabry’s goal in 8-2 demolition of Barcelona was one of my favourite passages of play since the return of football and there will be no let up on the international stage.
Gnabry will be frustrated not to have been as devastating against Spain on Thursday and so we may see some link up from the Bayern Munich colleagues in this encounter. There will also be some local bragging rights at stake, producing a more spirited display from the underdog hosts.
Germany will maintain their strong performance level from the Spain meeting to get a big three points this time around.
Post bet chat Marcus's Tips:
The Germans conceded a second half equaliser to scupper our punt for the second game in a row. 1-1.