England vs Switzerland
Semi-final heartbreak is becoming a habit for Gareth Southgate’s England. After losing in the World Cup at this stage; the same fate awaited the young Lions in the UEFA Nations League.
So Southgate must pick his team up in time for a third place play-off against Switzerland at the Estadio D. Afonso Henriques on Sunday, in a game the Swiss are more likely to enjoy. Their defeat to Portugal in the semi-final was the very first time they had reached the last four in a major competition, so Vladimir Petkovic’s side will be delighted with the chance to finish third.
The UEFA Nations League has been a great success, not only for SBOBET football fans, but also for the international coaches and teams who have had a chance to play truly competitive games between World and European Championships.
Talking Points
Young Lions still have plenty to learn
Gareth Southgate has some thinking to do before heading back to Guimares, after his team lost convincingly to the Netherlands on Thursday night; but he is likely to stick with his strategy of blooding and trusting young talent, despite watching some catastrophic defending in the semi-final, centre back John Stones getting caught out twice, trying to play the ball out from the back.
In Southgate’s 34 match reign at the helm, he has fielded a starting eleven with an average age under 25, ten times. The previous 17 managers in charge of England did this just ten times in 595 matches between them! And the manager encourages his young players to stay true to their football values and continue to play the ball on the floor and use it creatively, wherever they are on the pitch.
Of the two extra time errors which handed the Dutch a deserved win, Southgate said: “They are passes our players can play with absolutely no problem, but it wasn’t just the two goals, we made errors and gave opportunities away that should have been punished before that. The Dutch pressed very well with real intensity and I think we’ve learned so much in terms of playing against a top quality team that posed us different problems than we’ve faced in the past.
Whether the England boss regrets his decision to leave out key players who took part in the Champions League final between Liverpool and Spurs last week is a matter for him. He left out his captain Harry Kane and midfield general Jordan Henderson; but in a game with less riding on it, he may not bring his big guns back for the play-off.
We could see a start for Bournemouth striker Callum Wilson alongside Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho, while Tom Heaton could get the nod in goal, if Southgate wants to rest his number one keeper Jordan Pickford.
Xherdan and Haris can reap dividends
Switzerland had the better of their semi-final against Portugal, but were undone by a spectacular hat-trick from who else but Cristiano Ronaldo. Had it not been for the intervention of the Juventus star then Switzerland’s wide man Xherdan Shaqiri would have won the man-of-the-match.
The Liverpool winger tormented the Portugal defence all night and teed up three very good chances for front man Haris Seferovic, who hit the crossbar with one effort. And these two are likely to link up again against England. Petkovic doesn’t have the riches at his disposal that Southgate has, but they performed brilliantly in the Nations League group stage and have been in the FIFA rankings top ten for most of the last 12 months.
The UEFA Nations League 2019 betting tips will place the Swiss as underdogs again, but that won’t worry a side full of confidence. And look out for exciting 19 year old winger Noah Okafor, who could be in line for a debut.
History
England is unbeaten in 11 internationals against Switzerland since 1954, winning eight and drawing three, and their semi-final defeat followed a run of five consecutive wins.
Switzerland has won three of the last six games, but in Seferovic the underdogs have the most prolific Nations League striker in this match; he’s netted five times while England’s Marcus Rashford has three.
Betting Tip
 |
 |
England vs Switzerland | Switzerland Asian Handicap +0.50 @1.81 |
| June 09, 21:00 (GMT+8) |
With the draw at 3.30, Switzerland at 3.40 and England slightly odds against at 2.07 this promises to be a close game
It will be a fascinating clash between an England side keen to maintain its momentum and a Swiss team playing with superb commitment and no little skill.
And then it’s the main event; and you can keep up with all the UEFA Nations League news and highlights as Portugal and the Netherlands meet in the final.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
 = €20 (Highly confident) |
= €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
|
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
