Switzerland will look to cement the top spot in Group I when they host Andorra on Tuesday. After five matchdays, the Swiss are still in first place in Group I. They fully anticipate staying there despite playing the group’s weakest team here.
Preview (Switzerland vs. Andorra)
At the weekend, Murat Yakin’s team made a huge error, losing two points at the very end of a game. Vedat Muriqi’s 95th-minute equalizer in the Kosovan capital Prishtina allowed for a share of the spoils. Switzerland twice gave up the lead to draw 2-2. Despite being three points better than Israel in third place, that outcome leaves their future in limbo. Switzerland still has to travel to Israel and take on second-placed Romania. They stole a draw against them in June. They were leading Romania 2-0 with 89 minutes remaining when they shockingly lost the lead, resulting in a tie.
The visit of Andorra is well appreciated considering the prospect of Switzerland collecting a very easy three points despite dropping four points in two games. Switzerland defeated Liechtenstein, the lowest-seeded team in their previous qualifying group, 7-0 at home. They have also defeated Belarus 5-0 thus far this season. In the rematch, Andorra gave Switzerland a serious fright by rallying to even the score after the Swiss had taken a 2-0 lead. The scoreline of 2-1 was identical to that of the match between the teams in Andorra during 2018 World Cup qualifying, during which the Swiss won 3-0 at home.
Given that Andorra was drawn as the last-place team, earning two points from their first five qualifiers is a major accomplishment. A major accomplishment for the microstate was holding Belarus and Kosovo to 0-0 draws. Two very regrettable 2-1 losses to Switzerland and Israel demonstrate that they are no longer the overwhelming underdogs. Last year, their Nations League group saw a steady gain in confidence thanks to eight points from six games.
Team News
Zeki Amdouni of Burnley will retake the starting spot for Switzerland while Breel Embolo, their primary striker, is out for this international window. However, given the level of competition, Yakin might choose for more attacking options. In which case Noah Okafor, the newest member of AC Milan, might also play. The three players who began in Prishtina were Xherdan Shaqiri, Amdouni, and Ruben Vargas. Cedric Itten will also be looking for a look in considering his recent performance with Young Boys. Just a week after moving from Nottingham Forest to Bologna, Remo Freuler was in fine form in Kosovo, scoring the game’s first goal and also setting up the second when Amir Rrahmani’s effort was deflected in for an own goal.
Ildefons Lima, who has scored more goals than any other player in Andorra’s history, is still on the team despite being 43 years old. Berto Rosas, a squad member who plays for FC Andorra with Lima, will be the most dangerous attacking option. Rosas scored against Israel in June, then returned home and scored the following day for Andorra’s Under-21 team. Iker Alvarez, a goalkeeper for Villarreal B, has demonstrated remarkable promise and ought to stay in goal. Andorra should be the ideal opponent for Switzerland to rebound against after two dismal losses. However, in a matchup between top seeds and bottom seeds, Andorra has very little chance of winning because they have not yet suffered any devastating defeats in this area.
Switzerland 4 – 0 Andorra
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