By James Cormack
Switzerland have fittingly emerged as the steady Eddies of the European football scene over the past decade.
A nation entrenched in neutrality has often been solid and unspectacular on the grandest stage. The Swiss have made a habit of progressing beyond the group stages, but they have never bypassed the quarter-finals at a major tournament.
Switzerland stunned world champions France at Euro 2020, knocking them out on penalties in the round of 16 following a dramatic late turnaround, but a shootout defeat ensued to Spain in the last eight. Murat Yakin's side can undoubtedly compete with and topple the best, but how far can they go in Germany this summer?
Here's 90min's guide to Switzerland at Euro 2024.
Switzerland Euro 2024 squad selection
Yakin named a 38-man provisional squad for Switzerland's two warm-up matches before Aurele Amenda, Ulisses Garcia, Joel Monteiro, Bryan Okoh and Becir Omeragic were all cut. Seven more Swiss stars were then omitted for the 7 June squad submission deadline.
The size of the provisional squad and Switzerland's fairly thin talent pool means there weren't too many major surprises from Yakin. This is a familiar Swiss squad which still boasts a strong core.
Yann Sommer, Manuel Akanji and Granit Xhaka won league titles in Italy, England and Germany respectively during the 2023/24 season, while experienced campaigners Xherdan Shaqiri and Ricardo Rodriguez, both of whom have over 100 international caps, also made the final squad list.
Switzerland's Euro 2024 squad
Tactics
Switzerland's underwhelming qualifying campaign, during which they drew more games than they won, pointed towards a tactically confused outfit.
Yakin simply didn't know what his optimal formula was. He altered between a back three and four though it seems Switzerland will adopt the former at Euro 2024. The 3-4-2-1 deployed by the Swiss will shift to a 5-3-2/5-2-3 without the ball in a bid to supply defensive solidity.
They're typically compact and tough to break down, with Yakin's side and Vladimir Petkovic's before it typifying functionality. There are no superstar profiles and they do lack some thrust on the counter which could see them surrender more control than Yakin would like.
Overall, they're the sort of team that feels more comfortable in a reactionary state. Against Germany, for example, Switzerland will be happy to surrender territory and play on the counter, but they could struggle in their other two group games against Hungary and Scotland where they'll be expected to seize the initiative.
Fixtures
Switzerland were drawn into an evenly-matched Group A alongside the hosts, dark-horse candidates Hungary and a Scotland side that simply can't perform any worse than they did at Euro 2020.
The Swiss have encountered Germany and Hungary on many occasions, with their tournament starting against the latter. While Hungary have won 30 of the 46 all-time duels, Switzerland have triumphed in the previous three matchups. Success against Germany, meanwhile, has been sporadic.
In fact, Switzerland have beaten their Central European rivals just once since 1956.
Yakin's men face the Scots for the first time since 2006 in between these two fixtures. While Switzerland won the previous meeting 3-1, Scotland beat the Swiss 1-0 at their previous major tournament clash at Euro 96.
Switzerland's Euro 2024 group stage fixtures
Switzerland's record vs Euro 2024 group stage opponents
Switzerland's potential knockout opponents
Topping Group A seems unlikely for this Switzerland side, with Yakin's side more likely to compete for a runner-up or third-place spot.
Should they finish second, the Swiss would face the runners-up in the 'group of death'. A last-16 match-up against either Spain, Italy or Croatia would be on the cards. That would also likely leave them on the same side of the draw as France and England.
There are multiple possibilities for Switzerland if they finish as one of the four best-performing third-placers. They would face the winner of either Group B, E or F in the last 16.
Key players to watch
Switzerland's sturdy core is still intact and Yakin will be relying upon these steady profiles this summer.
Chicago Fire's Xherdan Shaqiri remains a prominent figure and, although there are doubts over his potential efficacy this summer given his departure from the European scene, Switzerland will continue to lean on him in attack. Breel Embolo, however, will supply the requisite power in transition.
Granit Xhaka heads into Euro 2024 off the back of a stellar domestic campaign with Bayer Leverkusen, while Manuel Akanji, Fabian Schar and Yann Sommer all impressed in 2023/24, too. They should be stout defensively.
Emerging talents
There isn't much to dive into here, to be honest. However, one man to keep an eye on is Bologna's Dan Ndoye.
The 23-year-old has just nine caps for his country and it remains to be seen just how big a role he'll play for Yakin this summer.
Ndoye came on strong for Thiago Motta's Champions League-bound Bologna in 2023/24, even if he didn't set the world alight in terms of final third output. He's a spritely operator adept off both flanks and may well supply the spark Switzerland need going forward should Embolo struggle off the back of an anterior cruciate ligament tear.
Burnley's Zeki Amdouni and Milan's Noah Okafor are more familiar names, with both players likely to take on roles as impact substitutes.
Predictions
Switzerland's typical sturdiness at major tournaments would point towards a steady group stage performance in which they do just about enough to progress.
Yakin's side certainly aren't going to set the world alight and their love for draws could carry them through Group A as one of the best-performing third-place teams. However, there isn't much expectation for this Swiss side, with many surprised that Yakin is still in the job.
If they do advance past the group phase, expect their tournament to come to an end in the round of 16. They're bereft of the attacking firepower needed to overcome the very best.
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This article was originally published on 90min.com as Switzerland Euro 2024 squad guide: Fixtures, predictions and best players.
