RheinEnergieStadion in Koln is all set to play host to the Euro 2024 Group A encounter between Hungary and Switzerland.
Germany will kick-start UEFA Euro 2024 on their home turf against Scotland on Friday night post which the remaining two teams from Group A, Hungary and Switzerland, will go up against each other in search of three important points.
Marco Rossi’s men had a dominant qualifying campaign where they remained unbeaten and ended up finishing top of Group G. They finished with five wins and three draws to book their spot at UEFA Euro 2024.
In preparation for the continental tournament, Hungary featured in two friendly games. They lost to Ireland before bouncing back with a 3-0 win over Israel. While they will be confident about their chances, Rossi’s men do not really have that great a record against Switzerland, having lost six out of their last nine meetings.
Switzerland also managed to secure direct qualification to the continental tournament as they finished second in Group I behind Romania. They won four, drew five and lost once in the qualifying stage.
Murat Yakin’s team won 4-0 against Estonia in preparation for the Euro before playing out a 1-1 draw against Austria. They were not really at their best in their last outing and will have to do better if they want to qualify for the knockout rounds for the sixth consecutive time at the European Championships. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Hungary
Skipper Dominik Szoboszlai was subbed off in their last outing with a minor hamstring issue as a precautionary measure, and he is expected to be fully fit for this fixture. Marco Rossi is expected to go ahead with the 3-4-2-1 formation, and Peter Gulacsi will be in goal.
The back three will be made up of Adam Lang, Willi Orban, and Attila Szalai. The trio will look for a clean sheet, and they will have the support of Loic Nego and Milos Kerkez who will feature as wing-backs.
Adam Nagy and Andras Schafer will feature in a more central role. They will look to control the tempo of the game and ensure they have the majority of the ball. Dominik Szoboszlai will feature as the attacking midfielder alongside Roland Sallai. The duo will look to have an impact in the final third. Meanwhile, Barnabas Varga will be the one leading the line for them.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Gulacsi; Lang, Orban, Szalai; Nego, A. Nagy, Schafer, Kerkez; Szoboszlai, Sallai; Varga
Switzerland
Steven Zuber’s availability for this fixture is a doubt as he could not feature in full training on Wednesday after picking up a knock to his calf in the friendly against Austria. Meanwhile, they do have good news as Breel Embolo and Denis Zakaria are both back fit and should be involved in the opener against Hungary.
Murat Yakin’s team will also line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, where Yann Sommer will be in goal. The back three will be made up of Manuel Akanji, Ricardo Rodriguez, and Fabian Schar. The back three will look to keep it tight at the back, and they will have some support on the flanks from Silvan Widmer and Dan Ndoye who will feature as the wing-backs.
Granit Xhaka and Remo Freuler will be the two centre midfielder. They will look to shield the back line and control the tempo of the game. Xherdan Shaqiri and Ruben Vargas will be the two creators in chief. They will start just behind their number nine Zeki Amdouni.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Sommer; Schar, Akanji, Rodriguez; Widmer, Freuler, Xhaka, Ndoye; Shaqiri, Vargas; Amdouni
Key Stats
- Hungary have only suffered one defeat in their last 14 outings since the start of 2023.
- Switzerland have won six out of their last nine fixtures against Hungary.
- This meeting between the two teams will be their second official encounter at a major tournament.
- Hungary are gearing up for their third consecutive appearance in the Euros.
- Switzerland have made it to the knockout rounds in each of their last five Euros.
Player to Watch
Zeki Amdouni
Amdouni did not really have the best of debut seasons in the Premier League as he could only manage six goal contributions in his 34 outings for Burnley. But, he does have impressive numbers for the national team with seven goals in 15 outings.
Switzerland have an impressive track record against Hungary and if they want to maintain their dominance and start with a point, they will hope the 23-year-old steps up when needed.
Prediction
Hungary 1-1 Switzerland
Switzerland might have a better historic record against Hungary. But they have not been that great in the recent past. Murat Yakin’s team have struggled to get the desired results, and that could be the case once again in their opening Euro fixture.
While Hungary have been listed as a dark horse by quite a few experts and they surely have a lot of quality in their squad, they still might not get the better of Switzerland. The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-1 draw in this Group A fixture.