Switzerland and Iceland are in the Group 2 of the UEFA Nations League A. In order to advance to the semis, a team needs to finish on the top spot. The problem is that these two teams play in the same group as Belgium. That’s why this game is of extreme importance for both of them, which guarantees an interesting duel on Saturday evening. If you want to bet on this, make sure to read this Switzerland vs Iceland match preview.
Switzerland
The Swiss did fairly well at the World Cup this summer. They got knocked out by Sweden in the round of 16, but even that is a pretty respectable achievement. Of course, their fans demand more, knowing how amazing players this team has in the squad.
Switzerland are strong in literally every part of the pitch and although their players aren’t superstars, they definitely have the quality to compete for the top spot in the group. The best thing about this team is that their players are still very young, despite having lots of experience. Actually, the oldest player in the squad is Stephan Lichtsteiner who’s joined Arsenal this summer.
The biggest threat to Iceland goal will come from new Liverpool attacker, Xherdan Shaqiri. With impressive agility and pace, he’s bound to wreck the nerves of Iceland defenders. That said, they’ll probably have to make a lot of fouls in order to stop him, so betting on a high number of cards might be a smart thing. Another reason why that’s a good advice is that the Swiss can also be pretty violent when protecting their net.
Iceland
This is the team that played 1:1 with Argentina at the World Cup. Okay, to be franks, the result was heavily influenced by a disastrous form of Argentina, but nevertheless, Iceland can sometimes be a very tough nut to crack.
They’re particularly good when it comes to defense. This team is very organized and the players are very physical, so scoring against them won’t be easy for the Swiss. But, when it comes to attacking, they don’t seem too dangerous. I think the Swiss defenders have plenty of quality to keep Iceland players away from the goal, especially because the game is played in St. Gallen.
Possible Lineups
Switzerland
Sommer – Schar, Akanji, Lichtsteiner, Rodriguez – Xhaka, Behrami, Dzemaili – Zuber, Shaquiri, Seferovic
Iceland
Halldorsson – Ragnar Sigurdsson, Ingason, Saevarsson, Magnusson – Gunnarsson, Hallfredsson, Bjarnason, Gylfi Sigurdsson – Berg, Finnbogason
Switzerland vs Iceland Match Prediction
Switzerland are definitely better than Iceland, but the Vikings know how to defend well. That said, it’s not going to be easy for the Swiss to score, but I think they’ll manage it eventually. For that reason, it might be smart to put money on Under 2.5 Goals. Another betting tip I have for this game is to bet on a high number of cards. Both teams are very physical, so we should see at least 4-5 yellow cards and maybe even a red card, as well.
Switzerland vs Iceland Betting Tips
- Switzerland @1.70 (bet365)
- Under 2.5 Goals @2.33 (Unibet)