Switzerland don’t really have a particular strength the truly stands out. They’re pretty solid on both ends of the pitch, which is why they’ve risen so high up the FIFA rankings. Their starting 11 is full of individuals who have experience playing for some of the best leagues in the world.
Stephan Lichtsteiner and Ricardo Rodriguez are two of the better rampaging full-backs around, and will consistently bomb down through the flanks to support in attack. Meanwhile, Xherdan Shaqiri possesses the potential to unlock defenses that made him such a hot commodity just a few years ago.
Team Weaknesses:
The Swiss generally take care of business against teams they should beat, but they just don’t have that extra gear that can get them past much tougher opposition. They lost their two biggest tests during qualifying – their home and away games against England – and also didn’t manage to get results during the 2014 World Cup against France and Argentina.
The odds of the Swiss joining France in the round of 16 by finishing as the top two in Group A are priced at -125, the lowest out of any combination. But they must get over their struggles against the elite teams in order to progress any further in the tournament.
Team Stats (During Euro Qualifiers):
Category
Stat
Goals Scored Per Game
2.4
Goals Conceded Per Game
0.8
Goal Attempts Per Game
19.5
Pass Completion Percentage
90%
Ball Possession Percentage
63%
Starting Lineup:
Position
Name (Age)
Career Caps
Goals
Goalie
Yann Sommer (27)
17
0
Defender
Stephan Lichtsteiner (32)
80
5
Defender
Philippe Senderos (31)
56
5
Defender
Fabian Schär (24)
19
5
Defender
Ricardo Rodríguez (23)
35
0
Midfielder
Blerim Džemaili (30)
46
5
Midfielder
Granit Xhaka (23)
41
6
Midfielder
Valon Behrami (31)
64
2
Midfielder
Xherdan Shaqiri (24)
51
17
Forward
Admir Mehmedi (25)
40
3
Forward
Haris Seferovic (24)
29
7
Writer’s Prediction
Switzerland finish second in Group A, but crash out once again in the round of 16.
