The final team in our Group E analysis is Switzerland. Ottmar Hitzfeld’s side open their World Cup campaign against Ecuador on Sunday June 15 at 5pm, then square up to France five days later at 8pm before taking on Honduras in their final group match on Wednesday June 25 at 9pm:
Road to Qualification
The Swiss served up some impressive showings over the qualifying period. Drawn against Iceland, Slovenia, Norway, Albania and Cyprus, they remained unbeaten throughout, winning seven and drawing three of their 10 matches. Scoring 17 times and conceding on just six occasions (including a 4-4 home draw with Iceland), Hitzfeld’s team registered seven clean sheets and were equally strong both home and away – indeed, 13 of their 24 points arrived on the road, with just a single goal conceded in their five road trips.
Most Starts Steve Von Bergen, Ricardo Rodriguez, Gokhan Inler, Valon Behrami, Xherdan Shaqiri (9), Diego Benaglio, Stephan Lichsteiner, Granit Xhaka (8), Valentin Stocker (6)
Most Goals Fabian Schar (3), Stephan Lichsteiner, Gokhan Inler, Xherdan Shaqiri, Granit Xhaka, Mario Gavranovic (2)
Most Assists Granit Xhaka (4), Xherdan Shaqiri (3), Gokhan Inler (2)
The Key Targets
The majority of Hitzfeld’s starting XI looks settled, with eight players starting eight or more of the qualifying matches. In addition, a number of these players won the Under 17 World Cup in 2009 and also reached the final of the European Under 21 Championships in 2011, suggesting they could well be set to spring a surprise. Since clinching qualification, the Swiss have played three friendlies – losing to South Korea and drawing with Croatia before winning 1-0 against Jamaica on Friday evening.
Full-backs Stephan Lichsteiner and Ricardo Rodriguez are both nailed-on down the flanks. The former served up two goals and eight assists for Juventus last season, though is fielded on the right of a five-man midfield, whilst Rodriguez arrives on the back of an outstanding season for Wolfsburg, where he produced five goals and nine assists from the left-back berth. They will set you back 5.5 and 5.4 in FantasyiTeam.
Those two look the best options at the back, where Steve Von Bergen (5.4 in FantasyiTeam) will be partnered by one of Johan Djourou, Philippe Senderos or Fabian Schar. Certainly, the latter’s set-piece ability and eye for goal would be the most beneficial to Fantasy managers – he started three of the last four qualifying matches and notched three times and comes in at 5.1 in FantasyiTeam
In the double-pivot, Napoli duo Gokhan Inler and Valon Behrami will be tasked with protecting the back-four and quickly distributing the ball to the attacking quartet further up the pitch. Available for 5.8 and 5.7 respectively in FantasyiTeam, both may appeal in Fantasy games that reward defensive duties, though Inler, with two goals and a pair of assists during qualifying, has the attacking edge on the former West Ham man.
Playmaker Xherdan Shaqiri will be key for the Swiss. Despite being handed just 10 league starts for Bayern Munich last term, he still netted on six occasions and will certainly be fresh after being used somewhat sparingly by Pep Guardiola – with set-pieces also boosting his appeal, he’s likely to see plenty of investment and sets you back 6.3 in FantasyiTeam. Alternatively, Granit Xhaka could be worth a punt. Priced at 6.2 in FantasyiTeam, he’ll be handed the role in “the hole” behind a lone striker and provided more assists than any team-mate during qualification.
Up top, Josip Drmic is a man in form. Firing 17 goals for relegated Nuremburg last term, he was the Bundesliga’s third top scorer and has already been snapped up by Bayer Leverkusen – available for a very tempting 6.3 in FantasyiTeam, he opened his account for the Swiss with a brace in March’s friendly draw against Croatia and also fired the winner against the Jamaicans a couple of days ago.
The Long Shots
Hertha Berlin’s recent capture, Valentin Stocker, may well be worth considering as an alternative in the attacking midfield roles. A regular on the left flank under Hitzfeld, he arrives in the best form of any of the Swiss midfielders, having produced 13 goals and eight assists for Basel in 2013/14, yet remains very budget-friendly at just 5.7 in FantasyiTeam.
Further Analysis
Group A – Brazil,Cameroon, Croatia, Mexico
Group B – Australia, Chile, Holland, Spain
Group C – Colombia, Greece, Ivory Coast, Japan
Group D – Costa Rica, England, Italy, Uruguay
Group E – Ecuador, France, Honduras
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Relevant Community Articles
Scouting Switzerland by edgardavids, Fantasy World Cup Early Options by Bowstring the Trout, The World Cup – The Players by the Sarjeant
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