Xhaka and Embolo (in the background) during the 1-1 against Serbia on Friday.Image: keystone
Five games, two points and no victory: Switzerland will no longer play in the elite during the next Nations League and that is understandable.
Jonas Schneeberger / Keystone-SDA
The 1-1 draw against Serbia, Friday evening at Letzigrund, was not enough to allow Switzerland to keep its place in League A. The main reasons for the first relegation of the Nati in the Nations League are not are, however, not only in this fifth and penultimate match (the last, for butter, will be played Monday evening in Spain). We have listed them in five points.
Naivete
“This match reflects the entire Nations League campaign,” Remo Freuler said on Friday after the 88th-minute goal against Serbia. He was referring to this scoring advantage that the Nati was unable to maintain and which would have allowed the Swiss to maintain a theoretical chance of remaining in the league.
“We had momentum on our side, we absolutely wanted 2-0, and then we took too many risks, as is often the case in this campaign”
Remo Freuler after Switzerland-Serbia.
Yakin spoke of a lack of experience on the equalizer: “A certain euphoria was born after the 1-0 and we lost concentration a little too much. We had seven players in the opposing area. In general, there are only five of us, and two teammates are further back for safety.
The proof in pictures
7 Swiss players were well in the opposing penalty area, and none covered the edges of the area to prevent a Serbian counterattack.Image: RTS
Naivety and lack of serenity were often observed in Switzerland’s matches in the Nations League. Against Denmark (2-2) at home, the Helvetii lost the advantage twice. In the 2-0 defeat in Serbia, Yakin’s team had the better chances, but it was the opponent who scored. And in Denmark (2-0 defeat), the two opposing successes were scored after the 82nd minute. “We must learn to be smarter”had already declared Breel Embolo after the setback in Serbia.
Inefficiency
“When we see the number of chances we had, we should have scored at least three goals in the second half,” said captain Granit Xhaka on Friday. “If we had exploited our chances better, we would have won 2-0 or 3-0,” Freuler said. Yakin felt that Switzerland had made the necessary efforts and followed the initial game plan. “We had a lot of chances, but lacked efficiency. The goal conceded is infuriating. But I think we need to talk about our opportunities rather than the goal we conceded.”
The player in the goal, the ball above: Noah Okafor came close to 1-0 before the break against Serbia.Image: keystone
After the defeat in Leskovac, Fabian Rieder had already criticized the lack of efficiency. A visual impression that the figures confirm:
- During the 2-0 defeat in Serbia, the Nati had an “xG” (expected goal) of 1.60 compared to 0.66 for its opponent.
- Friday in Zurich, Switzerland’s “xG” was 2.46 against 1.53 for the opponent.
- And at home against Denmark on October 15, the Nati had an advantage of 2.13 against 1.15 expected goals.
Instability
“If you concede so many goals, it becomes difficult to win,” Freuler mused on Friday. Ten goals conceded in four matches is too many, said Yakin, referring to the meetings which preceded the game against the Serbs.
“Offensively, we have arguments. But defensively, we have to restore order.
Certain
At the Euro, the coach’s flair was a major asset. Almost all of Murat Yakin’s tactical tricks and personal initiatives worked. This is no longer the case in the Nations League.
Keystone
The international retirements of Xherdan Shaqiri, Fabian Schär and Yann Sommer weigh heavily – probably even heavier than it seems at first glance. “XS” does not yet have a successor and Schär’s replacement is also not known. The defense cast goes from A like Aurèle Amenda to Z like Cédric Zesiger through Ulisses Garcia, Albian Hajdari, Miro Muheim, Becir Omeragic, Leonidas Stergiou, Silvan Widmer and Gregory Wüthrich.
Certainly, injuries and suspensions have not helped the team and its selection. However, it is difficult to identify a concrete plan so far. Unlike what happened during the Euro, Yakin cannot erase with results the question marks hiding behind a project that is difficult to identify.
Bad luck
Yakin may have used this excuse a little too often in recent weeks. But the coach is not wrong when he talks about the lack of luck and the unfortunate refereeing decisions. “Many, many things worked against us,” Xhaka also said. “Things” like the mistaken expulsion of Nico Elvedi in Denmark, the missed penalty of Breel Embolo in Serbia, two goals from a corner wrongly refused, the multiplication of chances, including an unusual number of shots on the posts and the crossbar, numerous injuries and absences due to suspension.
“A lot of bad decisions cost us points, I can’t explain it otherwise,” Yakin said ahead of Friday’s match against Serbia. And after the game he said:
“We don’t want to make excuses. We have covered the subject of VAR and refereeing, even if, overall, there were too many errors of judgment and today we could have given Terzic a red card »
Murat Yakin, Nati coach
(ram/sda/jcz)
