Scotland vs Switzerland Prediction: Another defeat for Clarke’s men?
Scotland will have been licking their wounds after taking their medicine against Germany on Friday night, with that 5-1 defeat a lesson in how tough major tournaments can be. Hope is not lost however for Steve Clarke’s men, with two winnable games remaining against Switzerland and Hungary.
First up they face Switzerland in Cologne on Wednesday night, knowing a win will get them back on track to qualify for the knockout stage. Below you can find my Scotland vs Switzerland prediction.
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Clarke has a few decisions to make ahead of this one. Ryan Porteous is suspended after his straight red card, so Grant Hanley is likely to start, while Lawrence Shankland could take Che Adams’ place up front. They need to show more attacking intent, while Billy Gilmour is a good option to come into midfield to bring more control to the game.
Meanwhile, we can probably expect an unchanged XI from Switzerland after their impressive win over Hungary, as Kwadwo Duah made a scoring start to his international career. Breel Embolo came off the bench but I think he will be used as an impact substitute once more.
Scotland possible starting XI:
Gunn; Hendry, Hanley, Tierney; Ralston, Gilmour, McTominay, Robertson; McGinn, Christie; Shankland
Switzerland possible starting XI:
Sommer; Schar, Akanji, Rodriguez; Widmer, Xhaka, Freuler, Aebischer; Vargas, Ndoye; Duah
Scotland are priced at 33/10 to win this game, while Switzerland can be backed at 83/100. A draw is available at 27/10, over 2.5 goals is 27/25 and BTTS is 99/100.
Switzerland to win @ 83/100
Switzerland were really impressive in their opening game win over Hungary, as they bossed the first half and then added a late goal to secure a 3-1 win. Duah in particular had a wonderful game, and his pace and movement will be difficult for Scotland to contain.
Ultimately, I don’t really see how Scotland can bounce back from that Germany defeat. They looked completely out of sorts, and although Germany are an elite side, I think Switzerland will also be too strong for them. Clarke’s men have to come out and attack, and given they now haven’t won for 10 matches, confidence will be low.
BTTS Yes @ 99/100
Although I think Switzerland will come out on top in this one, I do believe both teams will find the net. We saw the attacking quality of Murat Yakin’s side in that win over Hungary, and they are likely to cause loads of problems for Scotland, who are now missing Porteous. With Duah likely to start, and Embolo an option from the bench, they will be able to score a few on Wednesday night.
Meanwhile, Scotland will show more attacking intent this time around, and I’m expecting Shankland to start and show what he can do. He is the top scorer in Scotland this season, and if he gets an opportunity, he should be able to find the net.
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