Switzerland – Germany: Switzerland Sting The Serenade (1-1)

An eruption of euphoria across Germany at their two triumphs from the outset of the EUROs. Nonetheless, the journey to the top is never a smooth sailing ride. An outfit that had few backers has demanded more recognition for their efforts. Another Swiss surprise rattled the resolve of one of the favorites, putting the brakes on some of the more impulsive impressions on the hosts.

Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere.

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Germany’s guarantee of safe passage through the Round of 16 has already arrived. Die Mannschaft bear the burden of performance in the view of their expectant masses, but have handled affairs with professionalism. A two goal triumph over Hungary was the second act after a 5-1 rout of the Scots on the opening night of the EUROs. Julian Nagelsmann nailed down a construct that can cater to all their names in the middle of the field, and it is an arrangement with which he has hopes for ultimate glory.

However, the top spot in Group A is still at risk from an adversary that some parties underestimated. The Swiss stumbled into this tournament. Their record contained draws to Israel and Belarus and no victories against Romania or Kosovo. But a 3-1 defeat of Hungary and a 1-1 draw to Scotland signals a tally of four points— only two adrift of the hosts before the game. Indeed, it should not be a surprise to be on the cusp of a knockout phase, having reached this stage of all major competitions since 2014.

Murat Yakin, safe in the Swiss FA’s faith, fielded two new names to try and strengthen his seat of power in the dugout. Fabian Rieder replaced Xherdan Shaqiri, and Breel Embolo joined forces with Dan Ndoye. Granit Xhaka wore the armband in the middle of the park next to Remo Freuler. Michel Aebischer, who is usually a midfielder, again acted as a left wing-back. The rest of the spine set itself in stone. Ricardo Rodriguez, Manuel Akanji, and Fabian Schär shielded shot stopper Yann Sommer.

Nagelsmann nominated the same selection of players from the first two tests. Toni Kroos conducts the tempo as if he has never been in the cold from the camp. Robert Andrich anchors the midfield, while Jonathan Tah and Antonio Rüdiger robustly defend Manuel Neyer. The central axis is the jewel in the crown. Ilkay Gündogan carries captain’s duties;  on his left and right are Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz, the two outstanding creative sparks. Kai Havertz held onto his role as their central forward.

Swiss start with aggression

For the third time in a row, the Germans faced a 5-4-1 system. Yet, this contest was a distinctive task. The Scots and the Hungarians had sat in more reserved, wait-and-see defenses. On the other hand, by far, the Swiss settled on the most aggressive version of this layout. The guests granted no respect; rather than permitting the possession to reach their half of the field, pressure pushed up the pitch.

The asymmetric arrangement also angled away the ball from Kroos. Ndoye stepped higher as the primary pressing partner to Embolo, who could steer Tah away from his left, while Rieder was ready to jump out to the conductor from a lower position if he picked up a pass on the ball near side. His placement as a third midfielder meant more congestion in the same spaces that the Germans wished to work with. The three central defenders dared to move out forcefully, further constraining the buildup.

Above all, the two tens could not wait to get the ball where they were. Wirtz would leave his spot on the left to go to the right, and Musiala moved more frequently to the outside. The individual quality across this offensive could not be quietened forever— even if some enforced turnovers materialized.

10^th minute: pressing sequence from Switzerland. Embolo and Ndoye filter Germany’s passing away from Kroos to their right edge. Aebischer attacks Kimmich, having blocked off access to Wirtz so that Ricardo Rodríguez can mark Wirtz. Wirtz eventually overlapped on the outside, under coverage from Rodríguez, and as Havertz dodged to the right, Akanji followed him. The forward falls back on the dribble, but Xhaka and Aebischer converge to relieve him of possession, causing a counterattack.

It seemed that the Germans gravitated into the lead relatively early again. Wirtz ran out to the left, where Mittelstädt made a darting run after a pass to the offensive midfielder. Wirtz pushed the ball laterally, and as Widmer turned his body inside, a line breaking pass breached the back five. While Mittelstädt’s delivery did not find the feet of Musiala, the rebound returned to Wirtz. Andrich arrived on the scene, slapping a strike beyond Sommer. However, a foul on Aebischer annulled the goal.

Tackling transitions

Defensively, Germany also adopted a 5-3-2 formation within minutes of kickoff. Andrich dropped to create a chain of five at the back while Musiala and Wirtz sat to either side of Kroos. The stylistic signature of Nagelsmann can call for such a switch to protect the wide spaces that opponents might exploit brutally. The struggles with the Swiss system snagged the hosts for good in the 28th minute.

Musiala dropped deeper to offer an option for Kroos, but he lost the ball under the double coverage of Rieder and Xhaka. Rieder roamed inside, releasing a pass to Ndoye on his left to continue the counter. Though Kimmich cut out the danger briefly, Rieder retrieved possession. Meanwhile, having run up the center of the field, Freuler freed himself outside Rüdiger. He received from Rieder, and his cross to the near post picked out the movement of Ndoye. The forward threw his foot outwards and scored.

2 - At 23 years and 242 days, Dan #Ndoye has become #Switzerland's second youngest goalscorer in the history of the European Championships after Johan Vonlanthen against France in 2004 at 18 years and 141 days. Flash.#EURo2024 pic.twitter.com/DKNFToBY38

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) June 23, 2024

Ndoye searched for depth with runs on the right of Rüdiger, nearly doubling the lead before the half hour from the same position where Freuler found him for the first goal. The hosts, humbled, only chalked up seven strikes by the end of the first half. Nagelsmann needed a constructive comeback.

Füllkrug fulfils the mission

Nagelsmann knew defeat would condemn his players to second spot, seeking solutions from the bench at the hour mark. At first, he reconfigured the left of the back four. Tah and Mittelstädt made way for Nico Schlotterbeck and David Raum. From here, the offensive orientation increased. Andrich also exited the pitch, coming off for Maximilian Beier. Gündogan sat deeper in midfield next to Kroos, while Leroy Sané and Niclas Füllkrug filled the other two positions in the attack with Havertz.

64^th minute: offensive sequence from Germany. Wirtz again was in a wider position ahead of Kimmich on the right wing. He fired the ball into the feet of Havertz, attracting marking from Rodríguez, and a layoff pass follows to the right back, who shifted inside to the top of the box. Freuler followed Musiala between the lines; Kimmich chooses a delivery into the danger zone. Only Gündogan lurked centrally.

Substitutions signaled a shift in emphasis. The removal of Andrich alerted an end to the back five. In a 4-4-2 structure, Gündogan still sought to offer connections closer to the final third. Significantly, the crossing from Raum from the left flank and the explosive dribbling of Sané on the right represented more width in the offense to target Füllkrug and his fellow teammates in the danger zone. However, Havertz’s heading was wasteful, and Kimmich could not convert from a breakthrough for Wirtz.

Injury time ticked around without any answer. It was time for a Route One operation to serve as a bailout. Gündogan gave a pass to Raum on the left wing, and the fullback fired the ball over to the edge of the six yard box. Xhaka, who had glanced at Havertz, relinquished responsibility for Füllkrug. The striker steered a headed effort at the goal, and Sommer, rooted to the spot, saw it float past the goalline. The explosion at this equalizer exemplified the relief of most inside the Frankfurt Arena.

Takeaways

Germany guarded the top spot in Group A, but at what cost? The squad starts without the services of Tah, who suffered a suspension. Moreover, his choice to continue building belief in a surefire starting eleven now asks more questions than it offers answers. The high press poses issues if Kroos cannot control the cadence, and the trouble of transitions could be decisive in the latter stages of the EUROs. Nagelsmann now strives to avoid accusations of one-dimensionality on a path past the Round of 16.

In their third, and toughest, clash, Switzerland showed their unheralded potential. The stability of their back five frustrated the hosts on the night with a plan picked to prevent their preferred routes of progress. It is a foundation on which successful campaigns can gather pace. Yakin has also yielded to Xhaka, whose contributions in the pivot with Freuler have been at the heart of their good work in the new year. This collection of seasoned experience and fresh youth has earned the right to respect.

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