Scotland go welcome Switzerland to Hampden Park tonight for Nations League match, as new head coach Sebastien Pocognoli make im first home game for charge.
Pocognoli debut on Saturday end in goalless draw with Slovenia. That result mean Scotland don go three matches without goal, after World Cup blanks against Morocco and Brazil in June.
Di Belgian coach talk say him no dey worried about lack of goals. ‘It was one game. Some games you score. Some games you are unlucky,’ e say. ‘I don’t think there’s any concerns from my side to score goals because we have good strikers. It’s not only the strikers, but we are creating chances from many positions.’
Switzerland no be small side. Dem rank 14th by Fifa, 28 places above Scotland. Dem open dia campaign with 3-0 win away to North Macedonia. Burnley forward Zeki Amdouni score two goals, and experienced Olympiacos midfielder also find target. Zachary Athekame, on loan at Lyon from AC Milan, make im debut at right-back and provide two assists.
Scotland last meet Switzerland at Euro 2024, and dem draw 1-1 for Cologne. Scott McTominay open scoring with deflected shot, but Xherdan Shaqiri seize on defensive lapse to level. Switzerland go on reach quarter-finals, losing to England on penalties.
For Hampden history, Scotland don win five of dia eight home games against Switzerland, losing just once. Dia last meeting at Hampden was 3-1 friendly win for Switzerland 20 years ago. Scotland also come from 2-0 down at Hampden to rescue point against Switzerland in 1983 European Championship qualifier. Charlie Nicholas score belter on im Scotland debut that day.
Scotland missing some key men. Scott McTominay dey recover from minor heart procedure. Lawrence Shankland and Che Adams injured. Kieran Tierney and Kenny McLean late withdrawals. Forwards James Wilson and Findlay Curtis released from larger squad last week to play Wednesday under-21 game against Azerbaijan.
Switzerland also no get captain Granit Xhaka and striker Breel Embolo. Xhaka, who get record 152 caps, apologise after being implicated in investigation of doctor issuing fake vaccination certificates during Covid pandemic. Embolo, with 26 goals from 92 international appearances, dey caught up in same scandal. Leeds United forward Noah Okafor recently announce he will not play again for Switzerland under Murat Yakin, citing breakdown in trust with head coach.
Swiss head coach Murat Yakin miss im country pre-match media conference, with Swiss FA saying Yakin get ‘hearing problems’. ‘He struggled with the pressure from the flight so can’t participate in this press conference,’ di organisation say. Yakin assistant Davide Calla talk say Swiss don ‘spend a lot of time looking at Scotland’. Calla explain say with change of coach, game go be different proposition from Euros, but dem know wetin to expect. ‘They will be robust, play with a lot of passion and they have a lot of quality players, especially in midfield, with the ball at their feet. In the second half against Slovenia they showed the quality they have. It was clear Scotland were better in the second half.’
For Scotland side, Brondby captain Luis Binks go make im debut. Nathan Patterson and Kieron Bowie also start. Stephen Welsh, Aaron Hickey and Robbie Ure make way. Cap 99 for Scotland skipper Andy Robertson. Im opposite number, Swiss left-back Ricardo Rodriguez, clock up im 146th international appearance.
Sebastien Pocognoli get prior Hampden experience. He been part of winning Belgium team for World Cup qualifier on 6 September 2013. Di former left-back come off bench on 77 minutes, either side of goals from Steven Defour and Kevin Miralles.
Scotland midfielder Lewis Ferguson, who play 90 minutes in Ljubljana, echo im coach thoughts. ‘On another day we score two or three,’ Ferguson say of Saturday encounter. ‘The strikers will be disappointed, but I think we’d be more worried as a group if we weren’t creating those chances.’
Billy Gilmour return with player-of-the-match display against Slovenia after missing World Cup through injury. Ferguson welcome Gilmour into fold and believe di two friends get wetin e take to form long-term midfield partnership. ‘It’s great to have him back,’ Ferguson say. ‘We work off each other really well, two completely different profiles and it suits us both. We saw that in the game.’
Pocognoli talk about experimentation for di match. He add say dem try find balance to get results but also see different approaches on pitch. Di idea na to get most information after camp, to use in future.
Andy Halliday, former Rangers midfielder on BBC Sportsound, talk say Scotland side lack pace and directness. E add say when you dey come up against Switzerland side that will try peg you back at times, that go make difference. But e also say Ben Gannon-Doak na excellent option to come off bench.
Switzerland beat North Macedonia without vastly experienced duo of Granit Xhaka and Breel Embolo, who will play no part in this run of matches.
