La Roja is forced to raise head on Switzerland not to blow up wasp nest in League of Nations
The Spanish team is obliged to raise its head in the League of Nations. The draws recorded at home against Portugal and away against the Czech Republic have paved the way for the ‘final four’ uphill next year for Luis Enrique’s team, who are on the wire in Geneva. Another setback against Switzerland, the bottom of the group trying to release its points vault after succumbing to the first two days, could revive the hornet’s nest if only five months are left before the curtain falls for the World Cup in Qatar. the tournament in which all hopes are pinned on a block that offers its best version at banquets that require evening wear, but which all too often becomes unpalatable at the buffets it eats in non-five-star hotels.
Neutralized at the last minute by the Iberian neighbor in a match played at the Benito Villamarín that was well on his way to Morata’s goal, and grabbed in Prague by a Czech Republic who managed to squeeze his vulnerabilities to the point of flattering the victory that Iñigo denied Martínez on the horn, the Spanish team must give a blow of authority on the shores of Lake Leman to defeat the Portuguese and the Czechs, co-leaders by four points, two more than Luis Enrique’s battalion. Because, as the Asturian strategist recalled as soon as the trial was held at the Sinobo stadium on Sunday, in spite of everything, Spain remains confident in itself and intends to “continue to lead the way”.
To do this, it will have to overcome Switzerland, which also runs with a stalled engine. Defensive failure condemned her against the Czech Republic and Portugal beat her in Lisbon. However, the Swiss team is usually a toothache for Spain.
They have met 23 times since the two countries first met in a friendly match that took place at Bern’s Neufels Stadium in June 1925, which was resolved in favor of the Spanish side with a hat-trick from striker Juan Errazquin from Real Irún Union who could not have had a better baptism as an international. And it is true that the balance is very favorable for the representative of the bullskin, who has won sixteen victories and conceded a single defeat: the one who with a heavy heart opened a World Cup in South Africa that ended in ecstasy. But it is no less the case that a large part of those triumphs were produced by the minimum and after sweating the fat drop.
A trend that has worsened over the past four years. It is during this period that Spain drew lots with its opponent twice this Thursday, defeated it in a Pyrrhic fashion in October 2020 and had to hold on to its best performance from eleven meters to make the pass to the semi-finals of the last Eurocup in the penalty shootout that scored the goals. from Zakaria, an own goal after a shot by Jordi Alba, and Shaqiri matched.
The veteran striker of Balkan origin, who left the ranks of Olympique de Lyon last February to land in the MLS, remains one of the best-known faces of the team led by Murat Yakin, who took over from Vladimir Petkovic in the completion of the multi-site European. Murat was a powerful central defender and positional midfielder during his time as a footballer. He was capped 49 times by Switzerland and shared a locker room with his brother Hakan for both the Swiss team and Basel. In 2006, he hung up his boots to start a career on the bench that led him to coach Lucerna, Basel, Spartak Moscow or Grasshoppers, among others, before taking the reins of the ‘nati’.
Ahead of him is the challenge of doing well in the World Cup in Qatar, where the Xhaka, Embolo, Zakaria or Seferovic will try to maintain the good competitive tone that enabled the Swiss to shine in the European Championship, where they won the bell gave against France in the round of 16, smoothly sealing the pass to the World Cup to be played in the fall. But their poor start in this third edition of the League of Nations has left Switzerland in doubt. Like in Spain.
Luis Enrique, who traded eight cards in Prague to the 11 he uncorked the pulse against Portugal, will try to silence them with more rotations in sight. Azpilicueta and Jordi Alba could regain their place on the wings, Busquets will once again take over in midfield and Asensio is looking for a chance to start at the top after his solid performance in the Czech capital.
Source: La Verdad
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