These are the rivals of the Swiss team on the way to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar

Memories of the last Swiss victory against Italy: Marc Hottiger surpasses the fallen Roberto Baggio and scores 1-0.

Keystone

Italy

As in the final phase of the European Championship next year, Italy is also the rival in qualifying for the World Cup. With just 9 wins in 59 games, Switzerland has a bleak record in a head-to-head comparison. After all: on the way to the 1994 World Cup, he won 1-0 thanks to a Hottiger goal in Bern. Since then, they have not won eight games against our neighbor to the south and have only scored three goals. Italy are doing fantastic with coach Roberto Mancini and have been unbeaten in 22 games. In 2019, all ten games were won in qualification for the European Championship, albeit against moderate opposition.

Italy lost a competitive match for the last time on September 10, 2018 in the Nations League against Portugal. The star of the Azzurri is clearly the coach. Mancini’s 2.17 point average is exactly the same as that of world champion Marcello Lippi and no other coach. The team is extremely good and balanced, but big names like Buffon, Pirlo and Balotelli have been lost to the team. (Total statistics: 58 international matches, 8 wins, 22 draws, 28 defeats)

North Ireland

The Northern Irish are not very good, but how tough they are to beat, the Swiss have known since the World Cup blitz in 2017, when they suffered terribly after the 1-0 win on 0-0 in Basel. Ian Baraclough, who replaced Michael O’Neill as coach in the summer, is still unsuccessful. In the Nations League, Northern Ireland descended from League B without winning, in the Eurocup playoffs they lost the final at home to Slovakia 1: 2 after overtime. There are still warhorses like Evans, Davis and Washington … (Stats: 6 internationals, 2 wins, 2 draws, 2 losses)

Memories of a drama: After the bombing for the 2018 World Cup, the whistles against Haris Seferovic dominated for days.

Laurent Gillieron / KEYSTONE

Bulgaria

The third Swiss opponent is called Bulgaria. A rival that Switzerland need not surprise. In the 2020 international match year, the Bulgarians failed to win a single victory in six matches against Finland, Wales and Ireland. They no longer have a top star like Dimitar Berbatov ten years ago in their ranks.

Switzerland’s last game against Bulgaria was more than nine years ago. At that time, the two teams met in qualifying for Euro 2012. After the first leg ended 0-0, Switzerland won 3-1 at home. Xherdan Shaqiri scored all three goals. (Statistics: 10 international matches, 4 wins, 4 draws, 2 losses)

Lithuania

Finally, Switzerland meets Lithuania in the group. The two teams have only faced each other three times. The first meeting is historic and centuries ago. At the 1924 Paris Olympics, Switzerland defeated the Balts 9-0.

The other two games were played five years ago. It was in qualification for the 2016 European Championship. Switzerland struggled especially away from home, but ultimately won 2-1: it was the match in which national coach Petkovic replaced former captain Gökhan Inler for the first time and Granit Xhaka moved to the headquarters ordered.

This year Lithuania achieved successes against Albania and Kazakhstan, so that the team could hold out in League C of the Nations League. (Statistics: 3 international matches, 3 wins).

The mode

To qualify directly for the 2022 World Cup, Switzerland would have to finish the group stage first.

If it’s only enough for rank 2, then a blitz follows, with a revised mode. Instead of the previous game at home and away, there would be a final phase. Only those who win the semi-finals and the final (1 game each) can go to the World Cup. If Switzerland is in third place (or worse) after the group stage ends, they are eliminated.

The games will take place in 2021. Specifically: two in March, two in September, two in October and two in November. UEFA will publish the calendar in the coming days.

This is how the qualifying groups for the World Cup are