Our prediction for this Nations League match:
Switzerland
Match Time & Date:
14/11/2020
02:45 PM
Prediction: 1-2
Spain
All eyes will be on St. Jakob-Park when Switzerland and Spain square off against each other in the Nations League round 5. The Rossocrociati did well to hold Germany to a 3-3 draw in their last group game, but despite their fine display in the RheinEnergieStadion clash, Vladimir Petkovic’s men remained in the ultimate position in the standings.
The experienced tactician can count on star players such as Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri for Saturday’s clash, while Fabian Schar will have to serve his ban. La Roja, on the other hand, aim to retain top position in the standings. Spain failed to impress in a 1-0 loss to Ukraine, but seeing that Luis Enrique welcomes Koke, Alvaro Morata, and Inigo Martinez back to the squad, we are tempted to put our money on the visitors.
Highlighted Player (Xherdan Shaqiri):
Another impressive player who emigrated to Switzerland, Xherdan Shaqiri is a midfielder with excellent technical qualities, very strong in taking players on and creating chances for his teammates, while also being a danger from set pieces. The Serbian-born footballer formed an excellent midfielder pairing with Granit Xhaka at FC Basel, before making a high-profile move to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2012.
Shaqiri went on to prove a great deal of potential at Allianz Arena, scoring 11 goals in 52 Bundesliga matches, but he decided to leave in search of first team football, first joining Inter Milan and then moving to Stoke City. It was at Britannia Stadium that the attacking midfielder rediscovered his form and if he continues playing at such a high level, it won’t be long before he returns to the biggest stage.
Even when he was not playing regularly at club level, Shaqiri would always reserve his best performances for the national team, as witnessed by 17 goals in first 50 caps. The midfielder was especially impressive at the 2014 World Cup finals, where he scored no fewer than three goals.
Highlighted Team (Spain):
Historically, Spain have been regarded as one of top sides on international stage, but they often struggled to live up to the billing. After reaching the semi-finals at the 1950 World Cup, La Furia Roja won the European Championship trophy on home soil in 1964, but little did they know that it would remain their only trophy for another 44 years.
Following some disappointing showings, Spain finally returned to the biggest stage under Vicente Del Bosque, winning three straight trophies between 2008 and 2012, before crashing out in the group stage at the 2014 World Cup. La Furia Roja enjoyed plenty of success with their tiki-taka style of play, originally designed by Barcelona, with Vicente Del Bosque’s side packed with technically skilled players such as Xavi Hernandez, Xabi Alonso, Andres Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas and David Silva.
Strikers Fernando Torres and David Villa also had a major role to play in those successes, but when it comes to their famous predecessors, the likes of Alfredo Di Stefano, Michel, Emilio Butrageno, Raul Gonzalez, Fernando Morientes and Fernando Hierro should not be forgotten.
Ajax
Lille
Arsenal
Benfica
Napoli
Granada
Club Brugge
Dynamo Kyiv
Leicester
Slavia Prague
Manchester United
Real Sociedad
