Our prediction for this match:
David faces Goliath at Kybunpark as Switzerland and Liechtenstein face each other in a friendly international. The Rossocrociati did well to beat USA in their last friendly, with the team extending their winning run to five games in all competitions. Eintracht midfielder Steven Zuber, who scored as a substitute in the 2-1 win over USA, is pushing for a start, while Haris Seferovic should continue to lead the line for the hosts.
Liechtenstein, on the other hand, made a slow start to their World Cup qualifying campaign. The minnows are on a three-game losing run ahead of the trip to St. Gallen, and we do not believe that they are capable of shocking Switzerland, who have big ambitions for the European Championship finals. In the previous meeting between the two sides on the international stage Switzerland outplayed Liechtenstein 3-0.
Highlighted Player (Xherdan Shaqiri):
Another impressive player who emigrated to Switzerland, Xherdan Shaqiri is a midfielder with excellent technical qualities, very strong in taking players on and creating chances for his teammates, while also being a danger from set pieces. The Serbian-born footballer formed an excellent midfielder pairing with Granit Xhaka at FC Basel, before making a high-profile move to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2012.
Shaqiri went on to prove a great deal of potential at Allianz Arena, scoring 11 goals in 52 Bundesliga matches, but he decided to leave in search of first team football, first joining Inter Milan and then moving to Stoke City. It was at Britannia Stadium that the attacking midfielder rediscovered his form and if he continues playing at such a high level, it won’t be long before he returns to the biggest stage.
Even when he was not playing regularly at club level, Shaqiri would always reserve his best performances for the national team, as witnessed by 17 goals in first 50 caps. The midfielder was especially impressive at the 2014 World Cup finals, where he scored no fewer than three goals.
Highlighted Team (Liechtenstein):
Liechtenstein national football team are well known at the Blues-Reds. They wear blue shirts and red shorts when playing in front of home fans, whilst their second colours are red (shirts) and blue (shorts). Rheinpark Stadion in Vaduz is considered the team’s home ground and the capacity of the venue is 7.584.
In 1981 Liechtenstein faced Malta in their first ever unofficial match and they shared the spoils (1-1) with the Falcons in Seoul. Speaking of their first official game, Liechtenstein suffered a 1-0 loss to Switzerland two years later and it has to be noted that the Swiss played with a severely-weakened squad. The Blues-Reds recorded their first ever win in the World Cup qualifiers on October 13, 2004, with the team rolling over Luxembourg on the road.
At the same time, that was the team’s first ever away win and, no doubt, the triumph gave the minnows a confidence boost. Liechtenstein have yet to qualify for the finals of a major tournament and they suffered their biggest loss on November 9, 1996. The minnows were beaten by Macedonia 11-1 in front of home fans in Eschen.