Hungary is a threat to Switzerland

The Nati will have a lot to do for its entry into the Euro, Saturday (3 p.m.), against the Magyars whom it would be wrong to underestimate. Presentation.

The fact that the Swiss team’s next opponent plays similar football to that of Leverkusen, who lost only one of their 53 games last season and who achieved the cup/league double, did not help. obviously nothing reassuring. However, this is what awaits Granit Xhaka and his teammates on Saturday, as explained to watson Constantin Eckner, media tactics expert spielverlagerung.de.

The rapprochement with the German club, led by Xabi Alonso, is especially observed in the organization of the game of Marco Rossi’s team, because “Hungary, like Leverkusen, first wants to circulate the ball in the back lines”. Surplus situations then arise in possession of the leather, when one of the full-backs (Kerkez or Nego) slides in next to Szoboszlai or Sallai, who act in support of Varga in a perfectly controlled 3-4-2-1. “It worked perfectly for Leverkusen last season,” notes Eckner.

But it’s not all bad news for the Nati. Because “the individual quality of the Hungarian squad is obviously not comparable to that of Leverkusen.” Hungarian defenders are not as sure of their passes and interventions as Jonathan Tah or Edmond Tapsoba. The expert adds: “He is also missing a midfield anchor, a number six like Granit Xhaka, which is why Dominik Szoboszlai has to move back.”

By “anchor point”, Eckner means a defensive midfielder who plugs gaps, but who is above all capable of taking the initiative in the game and towards whom all the balls converge in the defense/attack transition. A role comparable to that of quarterback in an American football team and which the captain of the Nati, Granit Xhaka, fulfilled perfectly in Leverkusen. However, the Hungarians do not have a player of this quality in this position.

On the other hand, Szoboszlai is no less talented – and above all no less dangerous. Last summer, the 23-year-old was one of the players targeted by Jürgen Klopp and Liverpool. He was thus transferred from Leipzig to the Reds for 70 million euros. Switzerland must particularly pay attention to him. Because in the national team, Szoboszlai enjoys all the freedoms – he sometimes lets himself slide in midfield, but also weighs offensively. “In the national team, he assumes almost all the tasks of offensive actions, up to their finalization from outside the penalty area,” notes Eckner.

The Magyar’s role in the selection thus differs from that which he plays with the Reds, where he is less involved both defensively and offensively. For Hungary, on the other hand, it becomes “a Swiss army knife”, as Eckner says, not without apologizing for the metaphor. It was Szoboszlai’s great offensive potential that prompted coach Rossi to move from a 5-3-2 system based on counter-attacks to a more daring style of play.which also borrows aspects from Simone Inzaghi’s Inter Milan.

If the Hungarian defenders strictly stick to their position, the players in front can make many rotations. Szoboszlai is one of those who benefits the most and is encouraged to do so. The German football commentator for Sports 1 And DAZN therefore gives this advice to Switzerland:

Because if one of the two Swiss defensive midfielders rushes too early on the Premier League star, whose market value is estimated at 75 million euros, spaces could open up in front of the defense line. Roland Sallai from Friborg or Loïc Nego from Le Havre, also very lively, would then not fail to benefit from it.

If it manages to contain Szoboszlai, the Swiss defense has a good chance of controlling the Hungarian offensive. But it will also be necessary to master the powerful Sallai and the formidable attacker Barnabas Varga. Because if they concede a goal, the Nati will have to find a way to score to get back into the match, and it is not certain that they will manage to do so on Saturday. First because Yakin’s men have recently shown offensive shortcomings, then because the Hungarians have a solid defense, orchestrated around Willi Orban from Leipzig. In its four friendly matches before the Euro (against Turkey, Kosovo, Ireland and Israel), Hungary only conceded two goals.

From a tactical point of view, the match will also be exciting, because the two formations are quite similar. Murat Yakin, like Hungarian coach Rossi, also often relies on a 3-4-2-1 formation. “This could give rise to many one-on-one situations,” anticipates expert Eckner, pointing to the highly anticipated duel between full-back Silvan Widmer and highly explosive winger Milos Kerkez.

Eckner has one more piece of advice for the Nati: “They must apply pressure in midfield when the leather is not in possession of Szoboszlai, because Andras Schäfer and Adam Nagy are far from being as resistant to pressing.” It will also be important that Switzerland does not allow itself to be intimidated by the Hungarians, who fight with self-sacrifice, do not shy away from any duel and give the impression of evolving as a team. This is what surprised the Helvetii during their last friendly match against Austria, as Murat Yakin admitted after the match: “The robustness of our opponents surprised us a little at the start, because we didn’t We’re not used to it.”

In this sense, the last friendly match against Ralf Rangnick’s team was good preparation for Hungary. But Switzerland must still clearly improve if, on Saturday at the opening of its Euro, it does not want to be satisfied with the sad 1-1 that it obtained against the Austrians.

Adaptation in French: Julien Caloz.