2023-07-01 04:01:00
Switzerland benefits this Saturday in Bucharest in the quarter-finals of the Euro M21 from a golden chance to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games.
With a success against Spain, it would take a big step towards Paris.
Beaten twice in three matches since the start of the tournament, the selection of Patrick Rahmen can not however bulge the chest before finding a sacred team three times in the last six editions. Even if the Roja led by Santi Senia does not really rely on great individuals, they still recite magnificent football. In Romania, they ensured their qualification after their two initial victories against Romania (3-0) and Croatia (1-0) before sharing the stake against Ukraine (2-2), who will face France Sunday. Note that the winner of this Switzerland – Spain will be opposed in the semi-finals to France or Ukraine.
Still gasoline in the engine?
Spain was able to carry out a very large turnover against Ukraine to approach this quarter-final with the advantage of freshness. The question is therefore whether Switzerland, for its fourth game in nine days, will still have enough gasoline in the engine. If Dan Ndoye, Zeki Amdouni and Kastriot Imeri, in charge of offensive animation, will always be able to ‘invent’ a goal as magnificent as that of Wednesday’s equalizer against France. The three Romands hold the keys. If they are on a big night, everything will become possible for Switzerland.
The most vulnerable defense
“We will have to be ready to suffer, loose Adrian Knup, the sporting director of the Swiss selection. There really are reasons for hope. The team is capable of revving up, especially in zones I and II.’ It did not escape the former striker that Switzerland did not show the expected rigor in defense.
With eight goals conceded in three games, they were quite simply the most vulnerable of the sixteen teams involved in the preliminary round. The absence of a real left side weighed. It is also true that the hesitations of Ardon Jashari, the half placed just in front of the defense, did not really help his partners. The captain of FC Lucerne made a fatal error in the recovery which tipped the match against France. This quarter-final should allow him to bounce back.
‘We have to play compactly for 90 minutes. Defend together and also be proactive,” continues Adrian Knup. On March 24 in a friendly match in Almeria, Switzerland lost 3-2 on the wire to Spain after leading twice thanks to Ndoye and Imeri. A match in which they really looked their opponents in the eye. A match also that Zeki Amdouni, called up with Murat Yakin’s A team, had not played…
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