Northern Eire boss Michael O’Neill believes his gamers will face an enormous problem after they tackle Switzerland tonight.
However he’s assured his squad can proceed to make progress after they play the Swiss in a world problem match on the Nationwide Soccer Stadium at Windsor Park (7.45pm).
And he believes they will even give a very good account of themselves on Tuesday (25 March) after they come up against Sweden in a friendly on the Strawberry Area in Solna on the outskirts of Stockholm.
In his Supervisor’s View column within the matchday programme for the sport against Switzerland, he mentioned: “A 12 months in the past we performed Romania and Scotland in friendlies and I imagine the outcomes we achieved in these video games kick-started a interval of progress for what remains to be a really youthful squad.
“I’m hoping tonight’s recreation against Switzerland in Belfast and Tuesday’s match away to Sweden in Stockholm can have an identical impression on performances and outcomes going ahead.”
O’Neill acknowledged it was nice to end 2024 by getting promoted to League B for the subsequent version of the UEFA Nations League.
“We put in some actually good workforce performances as we topped League C Group 3 and there have been some glorious particular person performances alongside the best way, too. Now, nevertheless, it’s time to give attention to what might doubtlessly be one other thrilling 12 months,” he mentioned.
The Northern Eire senior males’s workforce supervisor identified the 2 friendlies this month, coupled with an additional two worldwide problem matches in June, will assist the teaching workers and the gamers to put together for the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying marketing campaign in September.
He mentioned: “Our opponents in these qualifiers (both Italy or Germany, Slovakia and Luxembourg) will present a lot stiffer exams than we encountered in League C of the Nations League.
“And that’s why we should tackle video games like tonight’s friendly and the match in Stockholm. We’d like to give our gamers the chance to take a look at themselves against sturdy opposition.
“Switzerland are a pot one workforce and taking part in against them will hopefully put together us for both Italy or Germany.”
O’Neill expects Swiss head coach Murat Yakin to discipline “a robust workforce” tonight.
He added: “A number of Switzerland gamers function in La Liga, Serie A and the Bundesliga, so our gamers know they may be in for a tricky recreation. Having mentioned that I imagine they may relish the problem, particularly when taking part in in entrance of a packed stadium in Belfast.”
Switzerland, who’re presently ranked 20th on the earth in contrast to Northern Eire in 71st place, have tactical fluidity. They comfortably change between a 3-4-2-1 formation and a again 4 in a 4-2-3-1 formation. This makes them an unpredictable and subsequently harmful opponent.
Yakin’s full-backs/wing-backs usually come into central areas, the place they create overloads.
That is helpful to Switzerland, each when it comes to denying their opponents house within the center and in addition giving them a numerical benefit going ahead, particularly in counter-attacking conditions.
Former Arsenal star Granit Xhaka, who performs for Bayer Leverkusen as of late, is just not in Belfast this night as his spouse has simply given delivery to their third baby.
Manchester Metropolis defender Manuel Akanji is lacking via damage, whereas Yakin has surprisingly left Brest midfielder Edimilson Fernandes, Borussia Mönchengladbach defender Nico Elvedi and Napoli ahead Noah Okafor out of the squad.
The Swiss squad, which additionally has a youthful component this time round, is nonetheless full of gamers who function in Europe’s high leagues.
In Remo Freuler, who performs for Bologna, they’ve a shrewd midfielder (78 caps, 11 targets), and Sevilla’s Ruben Vargas is not any slouch within the engine room both (50 caps, eight targets).
Among the many strikers Monaco’s Breel Embolo (73 caps, 15 targets) and Benfica’s Zeki Amdouni (25 caps, 10 targets) understand how to discover the online on the worldwide stage.
