This is a fixture that will evoke memories of the first game of the 2010 World Cup for each side. Spain dominated but Switzerland won that match although La Roja wouldn’t taste defeat again in that tournament. Therefore they certainly won’t be writing off their chances in Russia should they be on the wrong end of an upset here but they will fancy they can get the job done.
Spain only have one more friendly after this game so they will be taking it pretty seriously but even so there could be some rotation. They may look to give the Real Madrid contingent a rest following Champions League Final action last weekend and it’s a game that is likely to be played at a pretty slow tempo as we head into summer in Spain.
Villarreal is the venue for this match and Switzerland will most likely see it as a game where they will test their defensive metal. They aren’t a side with a positive reputation in any case and they will view their best path to success in Russia most likely coming from building a solid base and trying to break when they can.
That will surely be their approach here and they will most likely see this as preparation for their first game of the World Cup when they take on Brazil. With clean sheets in 10 of their last 12 internationals, they have showcased they are tough to break down and chances may not be that plentiful for the Spanish with skipper Stephan Lichtsteiner of Juventus marshalling the Swiss defensive effort.
Spain’s recent games have been relatively high-scoring but the Swiss won’t come with the sort of attacking mindset that we saw from Argentina in their most recent home friendly. Isco could be one of the Real Madrid players rested and he has been key to almost all of their attacking threat in recent games.
Julen Lopetegui is still considering his offensive options with the likes of Iago Aspas and Diego Costa battling for a starting role. This is likely to be a game that sees a whole host of substitutions and both sides look to experiment a touch whilst not wearing out their big names. Therefore it could be a match that struggles to really burst into life and backing Under 2.5 Goals might be the way to go.
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The most recent meeting saw the Swiss upset Spain with a 1-0 win as both sides kicked off the 2010 World Cup, a tournament the Spanish would still end up winning. The teams also met at the 1966 and 1994 World Cups, with Spain winning both games.
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