The Swiss U21 team is on track to compete in a third Euro in a row. But Sascha Stauch’s team wants to reach the last two stages against Finland and Romania.
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“Everything is in our hands, we want to approach these matches with a lot of confidence.” The coach’s message before the final qualifying matches is clear. Any result other than direct qualification for the Euro in Slovakia would be a disappointment for the U21s.
The situation in Group E is as tense as it is exciting. Switzerland is one point ahead of Finland and Romania. On Friday (in Lucerne) and Tuesday (in Bucharest), she will face these two opponents for first place in the group.
Lately, the Swiss have struggled a bit in front of their home crowd, failing to win at home in their last two games. Against Romania in Neuchâtel, Daniel Dos Santos saved a point by equalizing just before the end. In Lausanne, the Helvetii were beaten 2-1 by Albania.
It was only thanks to Romania’s defeat in Finland and Switzerland’s victory in Montenegro that Sascha Stauch’s team was able to regain first place. Four points from the two remaining matches will be enough to secure a place at the Euro as top of the group.
The nine group winners and the three best runners-up will qualify directly for the final tournament next year (June 11-28) in Slovakia. For Switzerland, this would be the third consecutive participation in a Euro.
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