On Thursday, Switzerland and Cameroon meet in Group G of the World Cup as both teams look to kick off their campaign with a victory.
Switzerland form guideMurat Yakin’s team topped their qualifying group ahead of European champions Italy, who failed to qualify for World Cup 2022. Switzerland were unbeaten in qualifying, recording five wins and three draws. Their qualification campaign was built on a solid backline, as they conceded just two goals in their eight qualifiers.
Switzerland head into their 11th World Cup on the back of a 2-0 friendly defeat against Ghana. However, before the loss, they had recorded three straight victories over Portugal, Spain and the Czech Republic.
Switzerland has made it to the last 16 of the World Cup in three of the last four tournaments. However, their best-ever World Cups were in 1934 and 1938, when they reached the quarter-finals.
CameroonJust like their opponents, the Indomitable Lions impressed in qualifying, first, they won Group D, winning five of their six games, before beating Algeria by away goals in the third round.
Cameroon is the most experienced of any of the African nations at the World Cup, having featured in seven previous tournaments after making their debut in 1982. The furthest that they have ever made it in the World Cup was back in 1990, when they made it to the quarter-finals of the competition, only to suffer an exit at the hands of England.
Rigobert Song’s team head into this opener in poor form, as they are winless in their last four international games, drawing their last two games against Jamaica and Panama.
What am I backing?Switzerland are the favourites to win this game, and it is difficult to see past a win for Yakin’s team. I am backing Switzerland to record a relatively comfortable win.
74 tips in BG
