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Portugal will play hosts to Switzerland on the second matchday of the UEFA Nations League A, group 2. Both of these teams enter the game seeking their first win of the third edition of the UEFA Nations League. Read on for the Portugal vs Switzerland predictions and more.
Portugal barely saved a point versus Spain, with an 82nd-minute game-tying goal scored by Ricardo Horta. Switzerland played group outsiders the Czech Republic and surprisingly lost. They almost saved a point, but an own goal by Djibril Sow in the 58th minute meant that Switzerland will get no points from the game. Without further ado, let's look at all the info for Sunday’s matchup between Portugal and Switzerland, including how to watch the game, start time, and a prediction.
Portugal vs. Switzerland start time, location, TV channel
What time does the game start?
The game is set to kick off at 2:45 PM EST on June 5th, 2022.
Where is the game being played?
The match will take place at Estadio Jose Alvalade, in Lisbon, Portugal.
How to watch or live stream?
Live streams can be accessed via fuboTV (Click for free trial)
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Portugal vs. Switzerland preview & predictions
Portugal is entering this game after they had a disappointing World Cup qualifying campaign. They ended up in the second round as one of the better second-placed teams after losing a 1-0 lead versus Serbia on the last matchday of their group. Then, they had to go through Turkey first, which they beat 3-1, with Otavio, Jota, and Nunes providing the goals. Italy did a huge favor to Portugal by losing to North Macedonia, which Portugal easily disposed of by scoring two. Thus, Portugal will be playing in the 2022 World Cup, but the path there could have been simpler. After the 1-1 game versus Spain, they might look to make a statement by beating Switzerland in this match. They have the talent to do it, but we will have to see their effort level.
Switzerland did qualify for the World Cup through their group and interestingly enough, Italy was also involved in their path to Qatar. They ended up with two more points than the EURO 2020 champions in their qualifying group, meaning that Switzerland could use the FIFA dates in March to arrange friendlies. It did not end up working out for the Swiss, as they lost to England and then played to a 1-1 draw with Kosovo. Losing to the Czech Republic did not improve a ton, so Switzerland needs to remind everyone why they got 18 points out of eight games in a group that contained Italy. They definitely have a great squad with a lot of experience, so it is up to them to show why they could be a dark horse in the 2022 World Cup.
In terms of lineups, we could see a return of Cristiano Ronaldo to the first lineup of Portugal. There was a great deal of controversy when Andre Silva was placed ahead of the Portuguese legend and especially when the coach Fernando Santos claimed that Silva just does certain things that Ronaldo does not. It did not work out for the Portuguese team, so we will likely see Ronaldo back in the starting lineup. In other team news, Diogo Jota will likely return, and Ruben Neves will also likely start for Jose Moutinho, who only managed 45 minutes versus Spain. The only major omission of the entire squad is Jose Sa, meaning that it will be youngster Diogo Costa in between the sticks.
Switzerland will likely line up the same as they did versus the Czech Republic. One huge change could be the return of Xerdan Shaqiri, who was displaced by Sow, the player who scored the own goal that ended up losing Switzerland that game. Their starting lineup is full of seasoned veterans and that is why it was so surprising to see them lose in a game that they should have won. Haris Seferovic and goalscorer Noah Okafor should lead the line when the game begins, with Zuber, Freuler, and Xhaka supporting them behind.
In terms of predictions, it really depends. Talent-wise, Portugal can beat any team in the world, and that includes Switzerland. They are full of great, veteran players and they should really dispose of any team they face. However, Portugal players do not always show up. Sometimes, they feel like their talent is enough, and with effort levels being down, teams like Serbia get positive results versus them. Switzerland is also a talented side, although not as talented as Portugal, so it should be a good game. A slight edge must be given to Portugal, on account of individual talent, but if the effort is not there, the Swiss team can expect a win in the heart of Portugal.
