Nati, Spain Switzerland: The duel should provide these insights

Today pauline. New Monday 18th November 2024 01:00 PM REPORT

Duel with European champions Spain –

The Swiss want to escape their dreary autumn on Tenerife

The game on Monday offers the national team the opportunity to end the international year on a positive note. And to gain insights for World Cup qualification.

Published today at 4:30 p.m

The national team is in a good mood in Tenerife. Murat Yakin leads the final training despite flu symptoms.

Foto: Laurent Gillieron (Keystone)

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Shortly:

The Swiss play against Spain in Tenerife on Monday.
They want to use the game to test unproven players.
After all, they will most likely be spared the worst in the upcoming World Cup qualification.

It would actually be the ideal place for the Swiss national team to escape the dreary autumn. On Monday they will play against Spain in Tenerife, on this Canary island that has an average temperature of over 20 degrees and lots of sunshine in November. A win at the European champions would the Swiss balance sheet of three defeats and two draws including relegation from the highest category of the Nations League will at least brighten up a little. And would give the team the opportunity to say goodbye to the winter with a good feeling.

That’s the theory. Implementation in practice is likely to be much more difficult. Even if the game is meaningless for the Spaniards, they are already winners of the group. And even if top-class players like world footballer Rodri or wonder dribbler Lamine Yamal are missing due to injury. But their squad is still full of formidable footballers. Assistant coach Giorgio Contini spoke of a “very strong opponent” on Sunday at the media conference in the Estadio Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez. He represents Murat Yakin, who has flu symptoms. The Swiss cannot completely escape autumn, even on Tenerife.

Your long list of absences around defense chief Manuel Akanji got a little longer over the weekend. Aurèle Amenda (bruised knee), who made a promising international debut in the 1-1 draw against Serbia on Friday, and Ardon Jashari (suffered by the flu) did not make the trip. Breel Embolo is also missing due to suspension. Cédric Zesiger was re-nominated.

Is another talent making his debut?

Contini announces that they want to get an idea of players in Tenerife who have not yet played many minutes for the national team. Albian Hajdari could be one of them, which would have the positive side effect that the 21-year-old Lugano defender would no longer be an option for a change of nation.

YB top performer Filip Ugrinic may also have the opportunity to present himself for a longer period of time for the first time. He is fit again after missing against Serbia. Dereck Kutesa and Joël Monteiro, who revived the offensive on Friday after coming on as substitutes, are also candidates for a start.

In this respect, the trip to Tenerife could provide some insights. The next time the national team meets again in March, it may start qualifying for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico. At least when they are drawn into a group of five in Zurich on December 13th. In the case of a group of four, it wouldn’t start until June. The Swiss could then test twice more in the spring.

After all, the national team is most likely to remain in Pot 1 despite relegation. So they are not threatened with duels with top nations such as Spain, Germany and France. That is at least good news after an autumn that brought a low after the high of the European Championships in Germany.