Switzerland can quality for Euro 2024 if they beat Kosovo in their penultimate Group I fixture at the St. Jakob-Park in Basel on Saturday.

Kosovo, meanwhile, must claim maximum points against the Swiss if they wish to keep their slim top-two hopes alive.

Match preview

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Despite drawing four of their last five matches in Group I, Switzerland are on the cusp of qualifying for their third successive European Championships and know that claiming at least three more points from their final two fixtures will secure their spot at next year's tournament in Germany.

Murat Yakin's side have scored 21 goals across their eight Group I games – only Portugal (32) have scored more in Euro 2024 qualifying – and they found the net at least twice in each of their first seven matches before being forced to settle for a 1-1 draw with Israel on Wednesday night.

The Swiss were seemingly on course to claim maximum points at the Pancho Arena in Hungary courtesy of a first-half header from Ruben Vargas, but they were made to rue a number of missed opportunities, including hitting the crossbar twice, as Shon Weissman netted an 88th-minute equaliser to snatch a point for Israel.

Switzerland have climbed above Romania to the top of Group I on goal difference despite dropping two points against Israel, and they have just two full days to prepare for their penultimate qualifier versus a Kosovo side who have frustrated Yakin's men in previous meetings.

Indeed, the Swiss have played out two score draws in their only two previous encounters with Kosovo, with a 1-1 friendly home draw in March 2022 followed by a 2-2 draw away from home in Euro 2024 qualifying two months ago.

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After failing to win each of their first six fixtures in Group I, Kosovo have since claimed back-to-back victories over Andorra and Israel to remain in contention to secure a top-two finish.

Milot Rashica scored twice as the Dardanians claimed a comfortable 3-0 away win against Andorra last month, before the attacker netted the only goal of the game in a slender 1-0 home victory over Israel last Sunday.

Kosovo, who have never qualified for a major international competition in their brief seven-year history as a FIFA member, currently sit fourth in Group I with 10 points after eight matches, two points behind Israel in third and six points adrift of Switzerland and Romania in the top two.

Primoz Gliha's men are aware that they must travel to Basel and beat Switzerland on Saturday to keep their Euro 2024 qualification hopes alive, and should they pull off an upset, they would then most likely be required to beat Belarus in their final match next Tuesday.

Ranked 105th in the world by FIFA and 91 places below Switzerland (14th), Kosovo have only won two of their last 10 away internationals in all competitions and will head into Saturday's game as underdogs, but Gliha's side can reflect positively on their two previous draws against the Swiss and require another dogged display to come out on top this time around.

Team News

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Switzerland's Edimilson Fernandes is suspended after he was shown a straight red card for a late challenge in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time against Israel, while Fabian Schar missed the midweek draw due to injury and is a doubt for Saturday.

The absence of Fernandes as well as the injured Jordan Lotomba leaves the Swiss short of options at right-back, so Manchester City's Manuel Akanji could be forced to play on the right side of a back four alongside Nico Elvedi, Cedric Zesiger and Ricardo Rodriguez.

Captain Granit Xhaka, who earned his 119th cap against Israel and surpassed Heinz Hermann to become Switzerland's all-time record appearance-maker, is set to start in centre-midfield, while attacker Xherdan Shaqiri will hope to force his way back into the first XI after watching on as an unused substitute in midweek.

As for Kosovo, their all-time leading goalscorer Vedat Muriqi (26) has been forced to withdraw from the squad as the Mallorca striker sustained a muscle injury in last weekend's win over Israel.

The absence of Muriqi – who scored twice against Switzerland in the aforementioned 2-2 draw in September – will likely see two-cap Albion Rrahmani handed a start up front, with support provided in attack by captain Rashica, who has contributed to six goals (three goals and three assist) in seven Euro 2024 qualifiers.

Midfield trio Florent Muslija, Qendrim Zyba and Florian Loshaj are all set to retain their places in the first XI, while Kreshnik Hajrizi will hope to replace Ilir Krasniqi and join Fidan Aliti and Lumbardh Dellova in the back three.

Switzerland possible starting lineup:
Sommer; Akanji, Elvedi, Zesiger, Rodriguez; Freuler, Xhaka, Zakaria; Shaqiri, Amdouni, Vargas

Kosovo possible starting lineup:
Muric; Dellova, Aliti, Hajrizi; Hadergjonaj, Loshaj, Zyba, Muslija, Vojvoda; Rashica; Rrahmani

We say: Switzerland 2-1 Kosovo

There is pressure on both nations to claim all three points on Saturday in their quest to qualify for Euro 2024, and while Switzerland will feel somewhat deflated after dropping two points in midweek, Kosovo head to Basel in high spirits following their success over Israel.

There has been little to separate these two teams in previous meetings, but Switzerland will be regarded as favourites on home soil and should ultimately have enough quality to get the job done.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

Written by
Oliver Thomas

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