Euro 2024: Hungary – Switzerland: the match you haven’t seen

Concern in the Swiss camp. Barely fifteen minutes after coming into play, Breel Embolo already seemed to be on his way back to the infirmary. Was Murat Yakin too optimistic about the health of the Monaco striker, who has been bothered for more than a month by a muscle tear in his thigh? We could fear it, observing number 7 holding his thigh while crisscrossing the Cologne lawn.

It took his goal, this succulent lob in the 93rd, for the doubts to dissipate. Not only those surrounding Switzerland’s ability to keep their three points. But also those concerning the state of health of Breel Embolo. For several minutes, he had actually been fighting with his bandage… which he just lost when it was time to score the 3-1. Judging by the sprint he launched into again two minutes later, the native of Yaoundé even seems to be doing very well.

It is difficult to estimate precisely how many Swiss and Hungarian supporters are in Cologne on Saturday. To the eye, the two sides seemed roughly evenly matched, in a near-full 43,000-seat stadium. Even if it was easier to count the Helvetii (almost all dressed in red) than the Hungarians (sometimes in black, sometimes in white, sometimes in red too…).

From 10 a.m. and their reunion in the Stadtwald in Cologne until late in the evening, fans of the national team created a crazy excitement around this meeting. With the notable exception of the ten minutes which followed the reduction of the Magyars’ score. Vocally, the Hungarians then completely covered the RheinEnergie Stadion, in a moment when the Euro of the two teams could have changed. Switzerland resisted. To eleven opponents and the decibels that galvanized them.

This was especially evident in the first half, when Switzerland controlled the match: Granit Xhaka seemed to spend a lot of time walking. We cannot criticize it. On the contrary. With the quick opening of the score, the captain may have wanted to instill a form of patience in his team’s game. Because a one-goal advantage in a major tournament is not something to be taken lightly. It was also certainly necessary to read in it the reflection of certain Swiss aspirations. Before the ball reached Kwadwo Duah at 1-0, his partners had previously completed 22 passes. Thanks in particular to the space management of Granit Xhaka, who finished the game with 11.8 km recorded on his GPS. The art of the fake walker. UEFA also made him its man of the match.

This could have created a nasty boomerang that would come back in his face. Ultimately, it was a premonitory act. Murat Yakin enjoyed a nice crowd bath in front of the main stand reserved for Swiss fans a few minutes before kick-off. If he wanted to measure his popularity rating, “Muri” received a nuanced response. The “ola” that he launched found an echo, it is true, but did not unleash passions either. This was before his tactical inspirations and in the choice of men placed the Swiss team on the path to victory. If he tries the experience again on Wednesday against Scotland, the Swiss public should be much more receptive.

The Swiss pre-match procession, as we have said, had a small effect on the streets of Cologne. It should have stopped there for Saturday. However, the trams supposed to take the majority of spectators towards the city center very quickly showed their limits. Crowded trains have been parked at a standstill for a period that is obviously too long when you are stuck between the armpit of an angry Hungarian and the shoulder blades of a tipsy Swiss. Others simply preferred to travel empty. And the disturbances continued for about an hour. Result: the Swiss public mainly reached the center of Cologne on the strength of their legs, through the endless Aachener Strasse, in what looked like a second improvised procession. Certainly a little less organized and a little more stretched.

Since the change to 24 teams per Euro, a victory in the initial match generally opens the way to the round of 16. But this does not represent a complete guarantee. In 2021, Finland and Slovakia respectively beat Poland and Denmark in the opening round. Before appearing among the two worst thirds of the six groups and taking the door. Switzerland has been warned.