When Spain plays Switzerland at home in Zaragoza for their League A Group 2 match on Saturday, the result of the game will determine whether or not Spain advances to the finals of the 2022-2023 UEFA Nations League.
At the moment, La Roja is leading the rankings by one point over Portugal, while their opponents are in danger of being demoted to League B if they suffer a loss. Portugal is now in second place.
Match Preview: Spain vs Switzerland
Luis Enrique’s side may not strike terror into opponents as they did in 2010, but some still consider them World Cup hopefuls. La Roja is in Group E alongside Costa Rica, Japan, and Germany.
They have a chance to win their Nations League group this week and avenge last year’s loss to France. Enrique’s men have gained eight points from a potential 12 to build a one-point cushion over second-placed Portugal.
Carlos Soler and Pablo Sarabia scored in their most recent game, a 2-0 triumph against the Czech Republic. If Spain beats Switzerland and the Czech Republic beats Portugal this weekend, Enrique’s team would qualify for the Nations League finals.
But it might come down to next week’s meeting between the Iberian powers. La Roja hasn’t lost at home since October 2018, when they played England in the first Nations League.
Spain supporters will root against Switzerland on Saturday, but La Roja would have cheered for the bottom team when they stunned Portugal 1-0 in Geneva.
Haris Seferovic scored the game’s lone goal in 57 seconds to keep Switzerland in League A, but relegation to League B is still a genuine threat for Murat Yakin’s team, which has lost its first three 2022-23 Nations League games.
Swiss might overtake the Czech Republic if they win in Zaragoza, but relegation could be confirmed if Jaroslav Silhavy’s team beats Portugal. Cameroon, Brazil, and Serbia await Switzerland in a tough World Cup group later this year.
So playing high-caliber opponents in the Nations League would only help the Rossocrociati’s prospects in Qatar, but they’ve lost their previous three away games in all competitions.
Pablo Sarabia scored the lone goal as Spain beat Switzerland 1-0 in June. The Rossocrociati had only won one of 24 prior meetings with La Roja, in the 2010 World Cup group stage.
Team News: Spain vs Switzerland
Due to injury, Spain will be without Aymeric Laporte and Mikel Oyarzabal in September, and the team has also benched Ansu Fati and Thiago Alcantara for the rest of the season. This means that Spain will be without several key players for the month’s fixtures.
Even though neither Borja Iglesias nor Nico Williams has earned a cap yet, they have a shot at making the national squad this month and might help relieve pressure on incumbent number nine Alvaro Morata.
Not only are David de Gea and Sergio Ramos not playing for their nation this month, but neither is anybody else. Unai Simon will continue to start in goal for the Spanish national team while David de Gea is out.
And despite losing his starting status at Barcelona to the youngster Alejandro Balde, Jordi Alba has been called up to play for Spain. Alba will likely start at left-back.
It has been reported that Red Bull Salzburg forward Noah Okafor would not be playing in Switzerland this month due to tooth problems.
Therefore, Seferovic, who has scored 25 goals in his career, will surely start in the top spot, maybe accompanied by Breel Embolo and Xherdan Shaqiri.
Ricardo Rodriguez, who is now 30, just needs two more appearances for his country to reach 100, although he missed Torino’s most recent Serie A game due to sickness.
Ricardo Rodriguez, who missed Torino’s most recent Serie A game owing to illness, is also a source of worry for the visiting team.
If Rodriguez is unable to participate, Kevin Mbabu may get the nod at left-back for Switzerland. However, Rodriguez will have had time to recover from his illness and may be ready to join the starting XI.
- Spain Possible Starting Lineup: Simon, Carvajal, Garcia, Torres, Alba, Gavi, Busquets, Koke, Sarabia, Morata, Torres.
- Switzerland Possible Starting Lineup: Omlin, Widmer, Akanji, Elvedi, Rodriguez, Freuler, Xhaka, Sow, Shaqiri, Seferovic, Embolo.
Our Prediction: Spain 2-0 Switzerland
Historically, the Rossocrociati have struggled for decades to beat Spain. The Swiss team’s recent losing record on the road also doesn’t bode well for their prospects in this match.
This week, it’s probable that Switzerland may have a repeat of a prior incident. Spain wants to make a splash before the World Cup.
Considering their track record of success in front of their home crowd, La Roja is the clear favourite to win a match that might decide the fates of both teams. The host team, La Roja, has a track record of success.