On June 15 at 21:00, in the first round of Group A matches for the 2024 UEFA European Championship, Hungary will face Switzerland at the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne.
Hungary, currently ranked 26th in FIFA, is making its third consecutive appearance in the Euros. After failing to advance from the group stage in the previous edition, the team is filled with anticipation, with both media and fans tipping Marco Rossi’s side as a potential dark horse this summer. Hungarian optimism stems from their unbeaten qualifying campaign (5 wins, 3 draws), although questions arise about their confidence when their toughest opponent in the group is a fading Serbia.
The Hungarian national team is coached by Italian Marco Rossi, who typically employs a 3-4-2-1 formation. The team’s heartbeat is RB Leipzig’s Szoboszlai, while fellow attacker Roland Sallai, playing for Freiburg, will share the responsibility of driving Hungary’s offense. Szoboszlai, who missed the last Euros due to injury, now wears the captain’s armband. In their final warm-up match against Israel, he was substituted due to a minor hamstring issue, but it was later confirmed to be nothing serious. Expect Rossi to field an Otigó-Sallai-Orban central defensive trio, with domestic league striker Varga leading the line after scoring 29 goals for Ferencváros last season.
Switzerland, currently ranked 19th, had a challenging Euro qualifying campaign, finishing with a record of 4 wins, 5 draws, and 1 loss, securing second place in their group behind Romania. Given that they entered the draw as a top-seeded team, avoiding powerhouse nations like France, England, and Spain, their qualification performance was somewhat underwhelming.
Murat Yakin, a former international player, took over as head coach following the departure of successful manager Vladimir Petković after the last Euros. Yakin’s maiden major tournament, the 2022 World Cup, ended in the Round of 16 with a defeat to Portugal. Switzerland aims to replicate their quarterfinal run from the previous Euros, especially after maintaining an unbeaten record (2 wins, 2 draws) in four friendly matches this year.
Operating in a 4-2-3-1 setup, stars such as Xhaka, Akanji, and Shaqiri are expected to start, with Burnley forward Amadou Haidara leading the attack, having scored 7 goals in 15 national team appearances. Monaco’s Embolo and Zakaria have recovered from their injuries, leaving only Zuber, who picked up a calf injury in a friendly against Austria, as a doubt for the match.
Both teams understand the significance of securing a victory in their opening fixture, as it would provide a significant boost for their chances of advancing to the knockout stages. Hungary, known for their attacking prowess, will look to exploit their opponents early on, whereas Switzerland, with their experience and emphasis on teamwork, will not go down without a fight. The clash in Cologne promises to be a thrilling encounter.
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