Spain can book their place in the finals of the UEFA Nations League when they welcome Switzerland to Zaragoza for Saturday’s League A Group 2 clash with kickoff at 9:45 pm.
Spain’s current players still strike fear into some teams’ hearts, but they are no longer considered World Cup favorites.
Luis Enrique’s side has been paired with Costa Rica, Japan, and Germany in Group E and has a chance to seal first place in its Nations League group this week by beating Portugal.
Enrique’s men have taken eight points from a possible 12 to open up a one-point gap over second-placed Portugal – whom they will meet on matchday six – as goals from Carlos Soler and Pablo Sarabia propelled them to a 2-0 win over the Czech Republic in their most recent game.
Switzerland fans will be rooting for Spain on Saturday. Still, the Basel-based side would have undoubtedly been cheering the basement side on during their game against Portugal, as they upset the apple cart to run out 1-0 winners in Geneva.
Haris Seferovic scored 57 seconds into the match and kept Switzerland’s hopes of survival in League A alive. However, the first-ever relegation to League B is still possible for Murat Yakin’s side, who lost their first three games of the 2022-23 Nations League.
Spain vs. Switzerland Head to Head
Both sides have six games against each other, with the hosts taking two wins while the visitors with one win. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- Spain 2-0 Czech Republic
- Switzerland 0-1 Spain
- Czech Republic 2-2 Spain
- Spain 1-1 Portugal
Away
- Switzerland 1-0 Portugal
- Switzerland 0-1 Spain
- Portugal 4-0 Switzerland
- Czech Republic 2-1 Switzerland
Spain Team News
Spain’s squad for their September fixtures has been announced, with Aymeric Laporte and Mikel Oyarzabal missing out with injury. Ansu Fati and Thiago Alcantara have also been left at home amid their fitness struggles this season. However, there is room for two uncapped strikers in Nico Williams and Borja Iglesias.
Switzerland Team News
The visitors are sweating over the fitness of Ricardo Rodriguez, who missed Torino’s most recent Serie A game due to a fever. The 30-year-old needs just two more caps to reach 100 for his country, but Kevin Mbabu could be forced to fill in at left-back if Rodriguez is not passed fit.
Prediction and Odds
Spain, aiming to lay down a marker ahead of the World Cup, will be eager to perform well in front of their fans.
- Home Win
- Goals Under 3.5
- First Half: 0-0
