Scotland vs Switzerland: Preview, Lineups and Predictions

After being dealt a 5-1 hammering by hosts Germany in the tournament’s opening game, Scotland desperately needs a positive response in their second Group A match. Few Scottish fans were hoping for too much from the Euro 2024 curtain raiser, but the performance of the Tartan Army fell a long way short of expectations.

The Scots have a chance to make amends here but it will not be easy against a Switzerland side who are the clear favourites for this clash. Unlike their upcoming opponents, Switzerland enjoyed a positive start to their Euro 2024 story courtesy of a 3-1 win over Hungary. Another three points on Wednesday would ensure they book their place in the Euros knockout stages for the third successive time.

• Location: Cologne
• Stadium: Cologne Stadium (RheinEnergieStadion)
• Date: 19 June 2024
• Kick-off Time: 21:00 CEST (20:00 BST)
• Referee: Ivan Kružliak (SVK)
• VAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski (POL)

Scotland Team News

Steve Clarke has a lot of decisions to make ahead of this match given how poor his side were against Germany. If he wants to mix things up, this is certainly an option as Clarke has no injury concerns within his squad. Before the Germany test, he confirmed that all players were fit and ready to go.

The only player Clarke will be without is Watford defender Ryan Porteous, who collected a red card for a reckless challenge in the Germany loss. Porteous’s tackle not only cost his side a penalty on the night but also earned himself a one-match suspension. Grant Hanley seems the most likely name to replace Porteous in the five-man Scottish defence.

Switzerland Team News

Two Swiss players missed their side’s 3-1 win over Hungary with minor problems. A thigh injury and a calf injury saw Denis Zakaria and Steven Zuber, respectively, miss out on the match-day squad. There is a chance both will be ready in time for this test, but only Zakaria has any realistic chance of featuring. The defensive midfielder started seven of his country’s qualification matches and has earned 54 international caps. Despite this, Murat Yakin is likely to stick with the holding midfield combo of Xhaka and Freuler.

Scotland vs Switzerland H2H Record and Key Numbers

This is not the first time these two nations have met in the finals of the Euros. Both were placed in Group A for Euro 1996. Scotland emerged victorious that day but painfully missed out on the knockout stages due to scoring one goal fewer than the Netherlands.

The defeat to Germany leaves Scotland with a record of just one win and six losses in their last 10 matches. This sole victory came when beating Gibraltar (ranked 203rd in the world). By stark contrast, Switzerland rarely taste the bitterness of defeat these days. Across their last 15 matches, the landlocked nation has lost only once.

Possible Lineups

• Scotland (5-4-1): Gunn – Ralston, Hanley, Hendry, Tierney, Robertson – McGinn, McTominay, McGregor, Christie – Adams
• Switzerland (3-4-3): Sommer – Schär, Akanji, Rodriguez – Widmer, Freuler, Xhaka, Aebischer – Ndoye, Duah, Vargas

Where to Watch Scotland vs Switzerland Euro 2024 – TV and Online Live Streaming

Viewers in Scotland and the rest of the UK can tune into the action on BBC One or BBC iPlayer. Fans based in Switzerland can access the game on SRF 2.

Scotland – Switzerland Prediction 

It is difficult to see this match ending up in anything but a Switzerland win. Although the Scots will surely offer improvements on their opening effort against Germany, they are simply up against a better team here. Switzerland is extremely tough to beat and will have gained a great deal of confidence from their opening win over Hungary. With plenty of talented options on the bench, too, this will give Switzerland the edge in what I predict will be a 2-0 Swiss victory.

More Scotland vs Switzerland betting tips are available on our special page for this game.