Romania will host Switzerland with both teams having secured qualification for Euro 2024. With 19 points, Romania leads second-place Switzerland by two points at the summit. The two teams’ final positions will determine the pots they are drawn into for the finals.
Preview (Romania vs. Switzerland)
Romania finished first in Group I with 19 points. They are two ahead of second-place Switzerland and seven ahead of third-place Israel. Romania had won five and drawn four of their nine games. The Tricolors have already guaranteed themselves a spot in the Euro 2024 finals. A draw on Tuesday would guarantee top placement in the group and a slot in Pot 2 for the draw. Romania would be in Pot 2 and Switzerland in Pot 4 if the competition is even. If Romania wins this round, the results will remain the same. However, if Switzerland wins all three points, they will move up to the top and be in Pot 2.
Edward Iordanescu’s team will be coming off a 2-2 tie with Switzerland in their previous meeting. Romania, although the host country, did not qualify for Euro 2020. Nonetheless, they participated in the 2016 tournament and lost in the group stage held in France. Switzerland, on the other hand, comes into this game coming off a 1-1 draw with Kosovo on Saturday. It was their third consecutive draw in this division.
After winning four and drawing five of their nine Group I games, Murat Yakin’s team now sits second in the standings with 17 points. As previously indicated, Switzerland needs to win this game to claim the top spot and a spot in Pot 2, but they have struggled recently to pick up three points, having won only one of their previous five Group I games. A-Team participated in the last two European Championships, making it to the quarterfinals in 2020 and the round of 16 in 2016. However, they were not able to advance to the tournament’s finals in 2012.
Team News
Valentin Mihaila, the midfield player for Parma, was sent off during the match against Israel on Saturday night. Romania will be without his services. The home team is in good form overall, so if there are no injuries to report, the starting lineup for this game may remain the same. Now that he has scored 11 goals for his nation, George Puscas ranks second among the squad’s goal scorers. He is expected to start as the center striker once more, with Nicolae Stanciu, the captain, starting as well.
Regarding Switzerland, head coach Yakin may choose to stick with the team that played their last game against Kosovo at the sound of the whistle. Josh Okafor of AC Milan played through the middle on Saturday, and it’s likely that he will again be in this situation with Ruben Vargas, who scored in the team’s previous game, also playing in a forward position. Xherdan Shaqiri is also expected to retain his spot, and the starting XI will once more include well-known players like Dennis Zakaria, Manuel Akanji, and Granit Xhaka.
Romania 1 – 1 Switzerland
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