TEAM

SWITZERLAND

GROUP: A

PLAYER TO WATCH: Granit Xhaka

EXPECTED FINISH: Round of 16

Switzerland fixtures

Switzerland garnered the reputation of ‘giant killers’ at the last European Championships when they knocked out then-reigning world champions France in the round of 16. They proceeded to take Spain all the way in the quarter-finals before falling short in a penalty shoot-out thanks to three consecutive missed spot kicks.

Despite their success at the last tournament, the Swiss limped through the group stages; that is a luxury they cannot afford in a competitive Group A alongside Scotland, Hungary and hosts Germany. All three nations that Switzerland face in the opening stages fall within the top 40 on FIFA’s world rankings.

Here are Switzerland’s Group A fixtures in full:

Hungary vs Switzerland: 15th June (Cologne Stadium)
Scotland vs Switzerland: 19thJune (Cologne Stadium)
Switzerland vs Germany: 23rd June (Frankfurt Arena)

Germany are the clear favourites to win Group A so the Swiss may have to settle for second. As runners-up, they would face whichever nation finishes second in Group B – the ‘Group of Death’ containing Italy, Spain and Croatia. Finishing third would also set up a less-favourable tie in the round of 16 with the winner of Group B or Group F lying in wait in the first knockout round.

Standings

Venues

Key players

There is a sense of familiarity about Murat Yakin’s team heading into the 2024 European Championships. Serial appearance makers such as Xherdan Shaqiri, Remo Freuler and Nico Elvedi are all expected to don the red and white but let’s take a closer look at three players who will be vital to Swiss hopes:

Granit Xhaka

Caps (goals): 123 (14)

Position: Midfielder

Club: Bayer Leverkusen

Granit Xhaka has elevated his game since swapping the Emirates for the BayArena last summer. He is the centrepiece of Xabi Alonso’s engine room, dictating play, making a half-century of appearances and clocking the most outfield minutes across Leverkusen’s unprecedented undefeated Bundesliga-winning campaign. With a team-leading almost seven recoveries per 90 minutes this term, Switzerland’s captain will be hoping his impeccable domestic season can translate onto the national stage this summer.

Manuel Akanji

Caps (goals): 58 (3)

Position: Defender

Club: Manchester City

You must be a versatile defender to operate in Manchester City’s rearguard and Manuel Akanji is just that. He can turn out in either a back three or four, step into midfield, or line up in either full-back position; a true Swiss army knife at the back.

It is a testament to Akanji’s defensive ability that he has positioned himself as one of Pep Guardiola’s most-trusted defenders, with the joint-most appearances among City centre-backs in the Premier League this season (27).

Yann Sommer

Caps (clean sheets): 88 (34)

Position: Goalkeeper

Club: Inter

Yann Sommer is one of the most reliable shot-stoppers in world football and has amassed quite the resume in recent years.

First, he was the hero in the last iteration of the European Championships, saving Kylian Mbappe’s penalty and earning himself the 2021 Swiss Footballer of the Year award in the process.

Afterwards he moved from Borussia Monchengladbach to Bayern Munich and helped the Bavarians to an 11th consecutive Bundesliga crown. The 2023-24 campaign may be the most impressive of his career though – Sommer conceded just 18 goals, kept 19 clean sheets and recorded a league-high 82.7% save percentage in his 34 appearances for Inter, propelling the Nerazzurri to a second Serie A title in four years.

Previous performances in the Euros

Swiss performances at the European Championships are on an upward trajectory. After failing to qualify until 1996, and failing to make it beyond the group stages before 2016, they have made the knockout stages in two consecutive years.

Switzerland’s most impressive outing at the tournament was in 2020 and they could carry that momentum into Germany this summer.

Here are Switzerland’s previous performances in the Euros in full:

1960: Did not enter
1964: Did not qualify
1968: Did not qualify
1972: Did not qualify
1976: Did not qualify
1980: Did not qualify
1984: Did not qualify
1988: Did not qualify
1992: Did not qualify
1996: Group stage (fourth in Group A)
2000: Did not qualify
2004: Group stage (fourth in Group B)
2008: Group stage (fourth in Group A)
2012: Did not qualify
2016: Round of 16 (lost to Poland on penalties)
2020: Quarter-finals (lost to Spain on penalties)

Expectations

It’s hard to predict the month that Yakin’s men will have. Hosts Germany should run away as Group A leaders but predicting who will follow them out into the knockout stages is an unenviable task.

Should the Swiss finish second or as one of the better third-placed teams, they will be drawn into one of the more difficult round of 16 matchups. The Swiss have proven they can topple the bigger teams before – but it’s hard to see an extended run for them this year.

Check out our Switzerland betting odds for all our latest prices throughout the European Championships.

Odds and player information correct at time of publication but subject to change