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Keystone
Xherdan Shaqiri expects an uncomfortable night in St. Gallen in qualifying for the World Cup against Lithuania on Sunday: “Small teams are very aggressive and commit a lot of fouls.”
Switzerland vs. Lithuania in St. Gallen: Wasn’t there something? Correct! On November 15, 2014, Switzerland won the fourth international match with national coach Vladimir Petkovic against the Eastern Europeans in Kybunpark 4-0. Four goals in 24 minutes turned the packed stadium into a festival hut in the finals. That is why Xherdan Shaqiri, who scored two goals at the time, said before Sunday’s game against the same rival: “We have very good memories of this stadium.”
The atmosphere back then will actually only remain a good memory this time. Spectators are not yet allowed. The Kybunpark will be deserted. But SFV is trying to bring some atmosphere to the stadium. During the game, photos of 100 fans are displayed on an LED board around the playing field. On this, banners will be displayed in the stands, in which the national team thanks the public for their virtual support.
After the 3-1 victory at the start in Bulgaria, Petkovic has the second mandatory task in World Cup qualification to prove to the team this time for 90 minutes that he is better than his opponents. But he also noted that it was “difficult to be better than in the first half against Bulgaria.” Thanks to three goals, the Swiss were already 3-0 in six minutes after 13 minutes. A drop in performance like in Bulgaria should be avoided in the first 20 minutes after the break. Petkovic: “Mistakes can happen, but we have to learn to stay calm afterwards.”
Initial formation unchanged
It is precisely because of this weaker phase in Sofia that Petkovic bows to the best teams in Europe. “I have seen photos of the Italy against Northern Ireland game and read about it. The Italians were very unhappy with the second half. We are still in good shape: our bad phase lasted only 20 minutes. “He added:” France and Spain even conceded the draw against Ukraine and Greece after the break. “Petkovic concludes:” What happened to us in Bulgaria can happen to anyone “.
For the second World Cup qualifying match in 72 hours, Petkovic should rely on the same starting line-up as against Bulgaria. «The medical bulletin shows no signs of injuries. Almost all players are used to playing a game every three or four days. “That does not mean anything other than Nico Elvedi, Manuel Akanji and Ricardo Rodríguez defend against goalkeeper Yann Sommer. In midfield, Kevin Mbabu and Steven Zuber play in the Side, in the middle are Captain Granit Xhaka and Remo Freuler, and in front Shaqiri, Breel Embolo and Haris Seferovic Storm.
Shaqiri expects aggressive opponents
This team faces a team that has gradually slipped into the last ranks of world football in recent years. In last fall’s Nations League, Lithuania only avoided falling into the fourth and lowest division in the last match with a win against Kazakhstan. There was only one point in qualifying for the European Championship, and on Wednesday the selection of coach Valdas Urbonas in a test match was defeated 0: 4 by the Swiss Bernard Challandes coached by Kosovo.
Petkovic continues to demand “the utmost respect for the opponent” from his team, because Switzerland has been able to avoid serious mistakes against blatant outsiders with this mentality in recent years. And Shaqiri is also looking forward to an awkward evening against FIFA number 129: “Small teams are always very aggressive and commit a lot of fouls.”
Switzerland – Lithuania
Sun 28.03.2020 20:20 – 23:15 | SRF two
CH 2021 | 175 min
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