Preview: Hungary vs Switzerland (15 June, 2024; 2 p.m. kickoff)

Even though the hosts are the overwhelming favourites to win, especially after they dismantled the hapless Scots in the opening game of the tournament on Friday, Group A is expected to be quite close.

Hungary’s flawless group-winning performance during qualifying made them one of the most remarkable teams. Strong and aggressive defensive bases have been the cornerstones of Marco Rossi’s team’s evolution into a tough team to beat.

Undoubtedly, the Swiss will face a formidable opponent in Cologne. There hasn’t been much squad turnover since their run to the quarterfinals in Euro 2020; Murat Yakin’s team has been a consistent force at big competitions for years. Yakin will count on his dependable core to lead Switzerland through Group A.

Hungary will look to Dominik Szoboszlai of Liverpool, who will captain his nation in Germany this summer, for offensive inspiration. Robert Sallai of Freiburg is set to lead Rossi’s line together with Barnabas Varga.

Will Orban of RB Leipzig will command Hungary’s defence, and Peter Gulacsi, a seasoned goalkeeper, was called up to the 26-man roster and is expected to start on Saturday.

Another name to watch is Milos Kerkez of Bournemouth.
On Saturday in Cologne, Yakin is anticipated to select a starting lineup that is extremely recognizable, including players like Xherdan Shaqiri, Granit Xhaka, Ricardo Rodriguez, and Yann Sommer.

Because Breel Embolo’s fitness is in question, Zeki Amdouni and Noah Okafor are competing for starting positions in the front line. The forward was not involved in Switzerland’s final warm-up match against Austria.