Switzerland vs Austria: Preview, Prediction & Betting Tips

Switzerland host Austria in the final friendly game before the European Championships, with preparations for both teams drawing to a close.

Date: 08/06/24

Kick-off time: 17:00

Venue: AFG Arena

In 2020, both teams made the knockout stages of the Euros, but Switzerland were knocked out by Spain on penalties in the quarter-final, whilst Austria were eliminated by the eventual champions Italy in the Round of 16. Better fortune this time around is what each manager will hope for as they finalise their squads for Euro 2024. This friendly will allow some players the chance to impress and perhaps gain a starting spot in the team.

The hosts finished second in their qualifying group with 17 points from 10 games. They were drawn against hosts Germany, Scotland and Hungary in Group A, meaning they have a good chance to progress. Meanwhile, Austria also finished second, but were rewarded with a much tougher group which contains France, Netherlands and Poland.

Goals may be at a premium in this game, especially for the Swiss, as through the last international break they had scored just three goals in their last five games. However, they remained strong at the back also conceding only three. Austria have enjoyed much more success in front of goal, scoring 13 in this same period. Their defence has been just as strong, allowing just one. Ralf Rangnick will likely rely on his two senior attackers in Marko Arnautovic and Michael Gregoritsch. The latter scored a hat-trick against Turkey in a recent friendly. Christoph Baumgartner of RB Leipzig has also netted in each of his last three games.

This will be the 43rd meeting between Switzerland and Austria. It is the Austrians who have been the dominant team, winning 24 of these games. They have lost 13 and drawn five. It has been three wins in a row for Austria, all in international friendlies, though they have not played against each other since November 2015. The last game was a 2-1 win for Austria with Haris Seferovic scoring a brace either side of a David Alaba goal.

Switzerland

Granit Xhaka will captain the side, and Xherdan Shaqiri will hope to play a big role. There will be Premier League representation from Manchester City’s Manuel Akanji and Newcastle’s Fabian Schar.

Austria

David Alaba did not make the squad after failing to recover from a cruciate ligament tear in time, which has kept him out for the majority of the season. Marcel Sabitzer, Marko Arnautovic and Konrad Laimer are all included.

Switzerland

In their last four games, Switzerland have won one, lost one and drawn two. It has been an inconsistent stretch for Switzerland but they were able to secure their place in the European Championships. They started this run with a 1-1 draw with Kosovo, however, in the penultimate game of the group phase of the qualifiers. They took the lead through Ruben Vargas immediately after the restart, but Muhamet Hyseni equalised for the minnows late on with one of just three shots on target. Kosovo had only 22% possession, but Switzerland were unable to take advantage of their opportunities.

The final game of qualifying ended in defeat as they lost 1-0 at Romania, though they had already qualified. It was an even game in terms of shot attempts, though the visitors enjoyed more possession. The only goal of the game came in the 50th minute, with Denis Alibec providing the winning strike.

Two friendlies followed, the first a goalless draw away at Denmark. It was a game with limited big chances, as the two sides combined for just four shots on target. Switzerland possessed slightly more of the ball, but neither were able to find the back of the net. Their only win of this run came at the start, as they narrowly beat Republic of Ireland 1-0. They restricted their Irish opponents to just one shot on goal, though they mustered three of their own. However, this time they were able to take one of their opportunities, with Xherdan Shaqiri scoring the winning goal from a free-kick in the 23rd minute. Before they take on Austria, Switzerland will host Estonia in a friendly on Tuesday night.

Austria

In their last four games, Austria have a 100% record, winning all of them. It has been a great stretch for Austria as they look ahead to the upcoming European Championships. They began this run with a 2-0 win at Estonia in the final game of the group qualifying phase. Both goals came in the first half, the first coming from Konrad Laimer in the 26th minute and then Philipp Lienhart five minutes before half-time. They dominated throughout, managing to restrict their opponents to no shots on target.

They followed this with another win, this time in a friendly against Germany. They came out on top 2-0 winners at home with a goal in each half. Marcel Sabitzer netted the opener on the half hour mark, before Christoph Baumgartner added some insurance. Germany winger Leroy Sane saw red just after the restart to put his team at a disadvantage.

Slovakia were on the end of the same scoreline as Austria won once more. Baumgartner gave them a lead after six seconds, one they would not relinquish. It remained 1-0 for the majority of the game, but Andreas Weimann doubled their advantage in the final 10 minutes to secure the friendly win. Their most recent game was their most emphatic victory, winning 6-1 against Turkey. They took an early lead again, this time through Xaver Schlager. Hakan Calhanoglu equalised from the spot, but Austria responded with a Michael Gregoritsch hat-trick. Baumgartner and Maximilian Entrup completed the rout. Before they take on Switzerland, they will face Serbia in another friendly at home on Tuesday night.

Austria are the team in form, and we expect this to continue with another win as they look to build momentum heading into the tournament. Switzerland’s inconsistencies will continue – Switzerland 0-2 Austria

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Switzerland vs Austria will not be available to watch on TV in the UK.

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