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Portugal will be hosts to Switzerland on the second matchday of the UEFA Nations League A, and both squads will be looking to secure their first win in this edition of the competition. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our Nations League odds series, which includes our Portugal-Switzerland prediction and pick we have laid out below.
Portugal saved a point late versus Spain on the first matchday of the UEFA Nations League, but that did not save this national team from the crisis they are experiencing. Losing to Serbia and then having to go through Turkey and North Macedonia to qualify for the 2022 World Cup must have been poor for a squad that really wants to do well in these kinds of competitions. Switzerland, on the other hand, bested Italy to qualify for the 2022 World Cup directly from the group. Recently, however, the Swiss cannot buy a win, with two losses and a draw in the last three. They will look to turn it around in this game.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Portugal-Switzerland Nations League odds:
Nations League Odds: Portugal-Switzerland Odds
Portugal: (-155)
Switzerland: (+410)
Draw: (+250)
Over: 2.5 (+102)
Under: 2.5 (-142)
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Why Portugal Could Win This Game
There is a simple reason why Portugal can win this game – Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo is still an amazing player and one of the best ever, without any argument. Despite a poor season with his team, Manchester United, Ronaldo himself had a good season, scoring 24 goals in 39 games. He did not score against Spain, but against a team like Switzerland, we could expect one of the GOATs to score a goal.
Aside from Ronaldo, this Portugal team is still impressive. Andre Silva, Diogo Jota, Bruno Fernandes, and Rafael Leao are all potent offensive weapons. Their game versus Spain, as a team, was not incredible, but Switzerland is nowhere near that status or player quality. Thus, we can definitely expect the attacking talent of Portugal to impress in a game like this. Motivation for a competition like the UEFA Nations League might be a bit difficult, but after a game like they had versus Spain, it would be good to give the fans something to cheer for.
As said multiple times, this is a talented team with difference-makers on all parts of the field. If they want to have any kind of chance to create a good result in Qatar in 2022, they need to hit the ground running right away. The game versus Spain might have not been the greatest, but that can be water under the bridge if they play well in this game. With Ronaldo motivating his teammates, it should be a win for the Portuguese team.
Why Switzerland Could Win This Game
Portugal was not good in the first game, but what can be said for Switzerland then? As a team that just bested Italy, the European champions, in their World Cup qualification group, they were favorites versus the Czech Republic. In a game that they were expected to win, Switzerland ended up losing and if they were to lose this game as well, it would be a mountain to climb to stay in UEFA Nations League A. Thus, motivation and imperative to win will be on their side for this match.
One of the biggest reasons why Switzerland could win this match is their recent form. If we take away the last two friendlies and the game versus the Czech Republic, Switzerland has had a ton of success. Their last loss before they lost to England in March of 2022 was losing to Italy in June of 2021, which was a game at EURO 2020. Thus, they have been fairly successful recently and they can build upon that success by beating a massive European team like Portugal.
In terms of individual talent, it is definitely there for the Swiss team. Switzerland has experienced players like Granit Xhaka, Xherdan Shaqiri, Ricardo Rodriguez, Haris Seferovic, and many more guys with tons of international caps. Overall, it is a group of players that know how to play with each other, have a ton of games together, and should be difficult to break down, even for a team like Portugal. If they were to keep a clean sheet, there is every chance that one rogue shot ends up behind the Portuguese keeper.
Final Portugal-Switzerland Prediction and Pick
It is a difficult one to predict, as both sides need a win. If Portugal was to lose, it would be last place in the group for them and a real danger of being relegated to the Nations League B. If Switzerland loses, that would be winless with a game versus Spain left to play. In these kinds of games, it will be the talent that decides it and Portugal is just better there. Our final Portugal-Switzerland prediction is a Portugal win at the Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon.
Final Portugal-Switzerland Pick: Portugal: (-155)