Switzerland vs Czech Republic

Kybunpark is the venue as Switzerland and the Czech Republic battle it out for survival in the top tier of the Nations League.

Following an abysmal three-game losing start to this Nations League season, Switzerland have racked up back-to-back Group A2 victories, including a morale-boosting 2-1 triumph in Spain last time out. However, it’s too little too late for the Swiss’ bid to progress beyond the competition’s group stages for the first time, as their prime task remains to salvage their League A position. Going into the final matchday, the ‘Nati’ boast a two-point lead over the bottom-placed Czechs, meaning a point here will be sufficient to extend their elite Nations League status. Walkovers excluded, Murat Yakin’s men have never lost a home game in the newest UEFA competitions (W3, D2), so they should feel optimistic about their chances of avenging a 2-1 defeat in the reverse fixture earlier this year.

In the meantime, the Czech Republic’s two-match unbeaten start to the 2022/23 Nations League already looks like a distant memory, with Jaroslav Silhavy’s men heading into proceedings having lost their last three Group A2 outings in a row. If that’s not enough for concern, each of those three defeats saw the Czechs concede 2+ unanswered goals and trail at halftime. Playing on the road is unlikely to aid their cause, as the visitors haven’t won any of their last four internationals on foreign soil (D2, L1 – 90min only), failing to get on the scoresheet on three occasions in that span. With no clean sheet away from home since October 2021, the Czechs look like a doomed outfit ahead of the kick-off, though a positive overall H2H record against Switzerland (W2, L1) may inspire some hope.