Big poor performance for the Nati. By losing Tuesday in Budapest (1-0), Pia Sundhage’s protégés failed to win their 4th qualifying match for Euro 2025 in Switzerland, which must, in the event of first place, allow them to find the elite of the League of Nations (read box). Four days after struggling to overcome Hungary in Bienne (2-1), the national team was not reassured against this same opponent. She even presented a worrying face.
With only one change in the starting eleven (Noemi Ivelj in place of Lydia Andrade, allowing Meriame Terchoun to play in attack), the coach wanted to focus on continuity. But the Swiss team found itself very stuck. Running out of ideas and lacking aggression, we had to wait until the 26th minute to see the first Swiss attempt. And the 45th to witness the visitors’ first goal chance. But Alisha Lehmann was unable to exploit a very good serve from Ramona Bachmann. Very well organized, the Hungarians could very well have returned to the locker room with a goal in advance, if Dora Keller’s strike had fared better (30th).
The Swiss showed a little more enthusiasm when they returned from the locker room. Without this resulting in clear opportunities. And if Elvira Herzog was lucky that Anna Csiki’s volley ended up in her arms (52nd), she was unable to do anything on the cross shot from GC striker Emoke Papai, after losing the ball by Coumba Sow (73rd). The first selection of 18-year-old Valaisanne Naomi Luyet did not allow the national selection to reverse the trend: she suffered a crushing defeat. A sign that nothing was going well in this meeting, Bachmann missed a penalty at the last minute.
Despite this disillusionment, the Swiss have nevertheless taken a big step towards promotion to the first division of the League of Nations, thanks to Azerbaijan’s success against Turkey (1-0). With two matches remaining, they are 3 points ahead of the Turks, who they will face on July 12 in Izmit, and 5 ahead of the Hungarians. The Nati, benefiting from a largely favorable goal difference, will end its campaign four days later in Lausanne, hosting the Azerbaijanis at the Stade Olympique de la Pontaise.
