UEFA Nations
2022-06-05 - Portugal vs Switzerland
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: UEFA Nations League League A
Sunday 5th June 2022 - Kick Off 7:45pm
This game is live on TV
Portugal
A late equaliser meant sharing the points with their main rivals in this Nations League Group and Portugal will be looking to build on that result in Spain. This is the nation that won the first Nations League so they may appreciate the tournament more than most as Portugal continue preparations for the World Cup at the same time.
Qualifying for the World Cup did not come as 'easily' as it should have done with Portugal needing to come through the Play Offs after surprisingly finishing behind Serbia in their Qualifying Group. Home wins over Turkey and North Macedonia secured passage to Qatar, and Portugal have long been at their best when playing in front of their own fans.
Portugal had drawn in Ireland and then lost at home to Serbia to slip into 2nd place in the World Cup Qualifying Group, but they are unbeaten in 3 games in all competitions since then. The side have won 9 of their last 11 home games in competitive fixtures, although the exceptions have both ended in losses. Portugal had won 4 in a row at home in the Nations League, but that run was ended in a 0-1 loss to France, who went on to win the second running of the competition.
Switzerland
Qualifying for major international tournaments has become a regular occurrence for Switzerland and in Euro 2020 they finally made it past the Second Round and reached the Quarter Final. Most expected Italy to Qualify for the World Cup ahead of Switzerland, but once again this nation surprised and contributed to the defending European Champions missing out altogether.
A disappointing 2-1 loss at the Czech Republic means Switzerland will already feel they are in a tough position in this Group. While not the most important tournament of the year, positioning in League A will determine Seedings for the next European Championship Qualifiers so it is important for Switzerland to try and get back on track, while avoiding relegation could be important too.
Switzerland may have Qualified for the World Cup ahead of Italy, but they will be going into this fixture with a single win in their last 5 games in all competitions. The side have lost 2 of their last 3 after the defeat in the Czech Republic, although one of those losses came in a friendly at England. Switzerland had been unbeaten in 5 away competitive fixtures before the defeat in Prague, although that loss also means they have lost 4 of their last 5 away Nations League games.
Head to Head
These nations met in the inaugural Nations League Semi Final and it ended with Portugal securing a 3-1 win at home thanks to two late Cristiano Ronaldo efforts.
That result means Portugal have won 4 in a row at home against the Swiss.
Prediction
At the end of a long season it can be hard to find motivation for players, especially at the very top of international football where the focus may already be on the World Cup.
I would keep that in mind with the League A matches in the Nations League, but these matches will determine Seeding for the Euro 2024 Qualifiers so they cannot be completely dismissed.
Portugal won the first Nations League so will be keen to win the major international tournament again and the 1-1 draw in Spain is a positive start to the Group.
I think they can back that up against Switzerland who have lost 4 of their last 5 away Nations League games. After the defeat in Prague, Switzerland have conceded at least twice in 4 of their last 5 away games in this competition.
The Swiss have to be respected having beaten Italy to World Cup Qualification, but Portugal may have enough attacking talent to win this one.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Portugal 2-1 Switzerland
FIXED ODDS BETTING TIP :
I'll back Portugal to Win & Over 1.5 Total Goals at 2.20 with BetFred
