Switzerland begin their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with a Group I trip to Belarus on Saturday. The Swiss appear to be the strongest team on paper in the group and will be keen to make a positive start.
Belarus have never been to any major competitions and will be keen to make that right this time around. However, with Switzerland seemingly head and shoulders above the rest of the teams in Group I, they may have to settle for second place.
Georgy Kondratyev’s men do not head into Saturday’s opener in the best form having claimed just one win in their last eight matches across all competitions. They have lost three of the last five matches in that run and were beaten 2-0 by Oman in a friendly in November.
If Belarus are to make any headway in this group, home form is likely to play a pivotal role. However, they have claimed just one win in the last eight matches in front of their fans, although the last two fixtures in that run have ended in draws.
Switzerland head into Saturday’s clash in erratic form with two wins and as many defeats from their last four matches. Their last outing was a 6-1 defeat to France in the round of 16 of the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
The good thing for Switzerland is that they are regulars at major tournaments. They featured in the European Championships in 2021 before reaching last year’s World in Qatar, qualifying for both competitions with relative ease.
While Switzerland are have found things slightly difficult on their travels, they will look to take confidence from their previous away fixture. Murat Yakin's men claimed a 2-1 victory in Spain in a UEFA Nations League fixture.
How the bookies view it
Switzerland have the upper hand among the bookies and are priced at 2/11 with Betfred to claim the win. Belarus are considered outsiders at home with a victory valued at 16/1 by BetVictor while a draw is set at odds of 9/2 by bet365.
Head to head
Switzerland have never lost to Belarus, winning all three previous matches. The last meeting between both teams was a friendly in 2017 which ended 2-1 in favour of the Swiss.
Players to watch
Breel Embolo is having a fine campaign for French club Monaco and has 12 Ligue 1 goals so far. The forward has also impressed for the national team in recent times with four goals in his last seven matches and is priced at 21/20 by bet365 to score anytime.
At the other end of the pitch, Switzerland have never conceded a goal against Belarus and will be keen to maintain that record. With the likes of Manuel Akanji and Nico Elvedi in defence, they will be targeting a clean sheet at 8/13 with bet365.
Anything else catch the eye?
Switzerland have never conceded against Belarus and could be tipped to earn a win to nil on Saturday at 4/5 with bet365. Given the quality in their attack, a -1 handicap can also be considered at 8/13 with BoyleSports.
The Swiss are expected to be dominant on Saturday and can be tipped to score in both halves at 10/11 with bet365. They can also be backed to win both halves at 6/4 with Paddy Power.
This Euro 2024 match between Belarus and Switzerland will be played on Mar 25, 2023 and kick off at 17:00. Check below for our tipsters best Belarus vs Switzerland prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
