2022 World Cup

Switzerland caused one of the big upsets of the European Championship when they came back from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 with France and then beat them on penalties.They lost to Spain in the quarter-finals and have changed coach since then but remain a team full of good vibes - mainly given that they were able to win their qualifying group ahead of Italy.They have a good spine to the team and experienced players who will use their nous to plot further tournament heroics.

Who is the Switzerland manager?

Murat Yakin replaced Vladimir Petkovic as coach in August 2021 and is very popular. He has brought new ideas, he’s made tweaks to the playing style and altered the squad dynamic. He won 49 caps as a player for Switzerland and has a deep understanding of what is needed for this team to be considered successful. He has coached Basel in the Champions League and is a good tactician that has built trust when it comes to drawing up game plans.

What tactics can we expect from them at the World Cup?

This is a side built on control, possession and structure but the most obvious change to identify under Yakin is the change of formation. He has moved away from a three-man defence and will line-up in Qatar with a back four. The 4-2-3-1 formation allows him to best fit his star names into the line-up while remaining robust. This side likes to play in a controlled manner that is built on a strong base and the style sometimes requires patience.

Who are the players to watch for Switzerland?

Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri are influential figures in the set-up but Switzerland have also found ways to cope without both players when they have been injured. If the Swiss do move away from the 4-2-3-1 then it’ll be a small change that will see Yakin deploy a 4-3-3. 

 

Xhaka will sit in front of the Swiss back line and act as the director and leader of this team. He has been a top performer for Arsenal this season and is going to have a key role at the World Cup. Injury has limited his game time for the national side and even though they have coped without him there is no doubt he is going to be called upon to shape their destiny. As the captain, coach Murat Yakin sees him as his eyes on the field. He trusts him implicitly and believes his experience at the top level as irreplaceable.

Who is favourite to be top scorer for Switzerland?

Breel Embolo continues to carve himself into one of Europe’s best forward players at AS Monaco and was Switzerland’s top goalscorer in qualifying for the World Cup.

His key attributes are movement and positioning but he is good at pressing too. His finishing has room for improvement if he wants to be regarded as one of the most clinical in Europe, there are times when he snatches at chances. But generally, he is going to be a huge threat at this tournament and an important player if the Swiss are to progress. A big game for him comes in the shape of Cameroon, his country of birth. 

How did Switzerland qualify for the World Cup?

To emerge from European qualifying Group C with an unbeaten record was a great feat for this team. Italy, Northern Ireland, Lithuania and Bulgaria all posed different threats yet the Swiss won five of their eight games and only conceded two goals.

They collected two 4-0 wins over Lithuania and Bulgaria but the amazing defensive record was probably the biggest victory of all.

What are the ambitions for this Switzerland team?

The quarter-finals will be seen as an achievable goal if they continue to limit the chances of their opponents. Cameroon, Brazil and Serbia is a really tough group to get out of but there is a belief that the tactical set-up offers a flexibility that can produce results against anyone.

Switzerland World Cup Odds

At 125/1 Switzerland aren’t expected to fight for the trophy, but they did knock favourites France out of Euro 2020 and will fear no one.

It has been a great 18 months for Switzerland and Yakin’s ability to think on his feet and trust his instincts is a quality that will define just how far they can go. They may have to rely on heroics from goalkeeper Yann Sommer at times, but Switzerland are well prepared to cause a stir in Qatar.

Switzerland World Cup prediction from oddschecker

The Swiss do have a good team on paper but have tended to underperform at tournaments in recent years and have struggled when playing against dynamic teams. They have a tough group ahead of them with Brazil almost guaranteed top spot, so it is a tossup between themselves, Serbia and Cameroon for that 2nd spot. 

Although we think they are better than Cameroon, who we expect to be knocked out after the groups, we fancy Serbia over them. The Serbs have more quality within their ranks so we think they’ll just about pip them, and could even be this year's dark horse. So we predict a group stage exit for the Swiss.