The UEFA Nations League clash between Germany and Switzerland offers different tales. This is because both sides didn’t have a good start in the competition.
Germany failed to hold on to three precious point after conceding a last meeting equaliser against Spain in their opening match.
Switzerland, on the other hand, began their campaign on the losing note after losing 2-1 to Ukraine.
So, Borussia Dortmund centre back, Manuel Akanji will now have to face Bayern Munich’s Leroy Sane when Switzerland host Germany on Sunday (kick-off: 8.45pm CEST/7.45pm BST/2.45pm ET).
- Both of these sides finished top of their groups in UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying. Germany picked up more points (21 to 17) and scored more goals (30 to 19).
- Germany have the superior head-to-head record having won 37 of their previous encounters to Switzerland’s nine with six draws between the two nations.
- The game could see as many as six Gladbach players in action with Matthias Ginter and Florian Neuhaus part of the Germany squad.
The Swiss players are not strangers to the German players. There are ten Swiss players in the squad plying their trades in the German top flight. They include Akanji (Borussia Dortmund), Kevin Mbabu and Renato Steffen (Wolfsburg), Steven Zuber and Djibril Sow (Eintracht Frankfurt) and Ruben Vargas (Augsburg. Others are a four-man Borussia Mönchengladbach contingent, Yann Sommer, Nico Elvedi, Michael Lang and Breel Embolo.
Likely starting line up: Switzerland vs Germany
Vladimir Petkovic’s squad boasts of Sommer, who made a Bundesliga-high 126 saves in the 2019/20 season. The defensive pair Nico Elvedi and Michael Lang are expected to start, but club-mate Breel Embolo will likely come in from the bench.
Granit Xhaka is expected to lead the team, while Ricardo Rodriguez, a 2015 DFB Cup and Supercup winner with Wolfsburg should begin the contest at left wing-back.
Gladbach’s Denis Zakaria and Wolfsburg forward Admir Mehmedi are not included in the team. Die Nati will be looking to bounce back from a 2-1 defeat to Ukraine in their Nations League opener.
Since former Frankfurt striker, Haris Seferovic was on target in Lviv, he could get the nod again.
For Germany, Chelsea striker, Timo Werner is expected to spearhead the attack. Werner, who scored 28 Bundesliga goals for RB Leipzig before joining the Blues, appeared to have secured a victory for the four-time world champions, only for Jose Gaya to level deep into stoppage time.
Sane is expected to return to the starting line up after making his second competitive appearance of the calendar year. His Bayern Munich teammates Leon Goretzka, Serge Gnabry, Joshua Kimmich and Manuel Neuer are all rested following their participation in their treble-winning campaign.
Dortmund’s Julian Brandt could be started. The midfielder could be in for his 32nd cap at the expense of PSG attacker Julian Draxler, after producing seven goals and 33 assists at club level in the 2019/20 season.
Kai Havertz was also excused from the squad to complete his Chelsea medical and move.
Probable line-ups
Switzerland: Sommer – Lang, Elvedi, Akanji – Mbabu, Sow, Xhaka (c), Rodriguez – Embolo – Seferovic, Ajeti
Out: Drmic (not included), Freuler (not included), Mehmedi (not included), Schär (not included), Zakaria (not included)
Doubtful: –
Coach: Vladimir Petkovic
Germany: Trapp – Kehrer, Süle, Ginter, Gosens – Gündogan, Kroos (c) – Draxler, Brandt, Sane – Werner
Out: Gnabry (not included), Goretzka (not included), Havertz (personal leave), Kimmich (not included), Klostermann (not included), Neuer (not included), Reus (not included)
Doubtful: Schulz (calf)
Coach: Joachim Löw
