- Switzerland played 2-2 against Denmark in St. Gallen and also missed its first win in the fourth Nations League game.
- Remo Freuler and Zeki Amdouni (penalty) put the national team in the lead twice, but the Danes equalized each time. Amdouni’s supposed winning goal was disallowed a quarter of an hour before the end.
- Spain beats Serbia 3-0 in the parallel game. It is no longer possible for Switzerland to advance in the Nations League.
In the 74th minute, the 16,000 spectators in St. Gallen couldn’t help but celebrate the goal. After a corner from substitute Filip Ugrinic, Zeki Amdouni supposedly made it 3-2 with his second goal of the evening. But the Turkish referee Halil Umut Meler immediately waved it off: according to his verdict, the ball that Ugrinic kicked with a lot of effort was out of bounds.
The national team continued to push forward, but the redeeming third goal didn’t want to come. It would have been a well-deserved reward for a lot of effort and significantly more will than before. The Swiss remain without a win in the Nations League and continue to have to worry about relegation.
Eriksen’s 2:2 against the run of play
After the break, Murat Yakin’s team pressed for the decision with the score at 2:1 and were looking for 3:1. Instead, the Danes scored in the 69th minute: Christian Eriksen made it 2-2 after careful preparatory work by Captain Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg.
Before the game, Yann Sommer, Xherdan Shaqiri and Fabian Schär, three Nati players who have made an impact for years, were farewelled to great applause in Kybunpark. The three then saw a much improved performance from their former colleagues compared to the Serbia game on Saturday.
Yakin switches tactics
Yakin had switched to a back four and made three changes to the starting eleven. Edimilson Fernandes, Ulisses Garcia and Fabian Rieder replaced Silvan Widmer, Ricardo Rodriguez and Michel Aebischer.
The measures bore fruit. Rieder in particular, who played in a central position, was able to skillfully put his teammates in the spotlight again and again.
Freuler’s leadership does not last long
It took until the 26th minute for Denmark’s goalie Kasper Schmeichel to become really dangerous for the first time. But it happened straight away: with a bit of luck, Remo Freuler completed an attack that he had initiated himself. After a cross from Fernandes, a bounce ball fell at his feet and he shot uncompromisingly to make it 1-0.
However, the leadership did not last long. Just 85 seconds later the ball was in the goal on the other side. After a foul by Nico Elvedi, Eriksen, in contrast to the Swiss defense, switched gears quickly and launched Gustav Isaksen’s free kick into the depths. He went at Gregor Kobel alone and caught the keeper between the legs.
Shortly before the break, the next Swiss success came: After Patrick Dorgu Breel brought Embolo down in the penalty area, Amdouni grabbed the ball and used the penalty to make it 2-1.
Relegation battle against Serbia
In the other game in the Swiss group, Spain easily beat the Serbs 3-0 in Cordoba. Aymeric Laporte, Alvaro Morata and Alex Baena scored the goals and secured the Iberians’ place in the quarter-finals.
Switzerland, on the other hand, missed out on progressing – places 1 and 2 in the group are out of reach. The national team is still fighting for third place against Serbia and against direct relegation. The direct duel is coming up in Zurich in a month. At the end of the group phase, Switzerland will meet the still unbeaten Spaniards in Tenerife on November 18th.
