Hungary revved up for Euro 2024 opener as fragile Swiss seek turnaround
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Hungary's Dominik Szoboszlai will be the key man for his side for the clash against Switzerland and the entire Euro 2024 campaign as well.
PHOTO: REUTERS
COLOGNE – Hungary and Switzerland open their Euro 2024 campaigns on June 15 with points to prove after starkly contrasting form, as they look to lay down some early markers for their group rivals.
The Hungarians have been oozing panache after an astonishing unbeaten run that lasted 20 months until last week, and are a side the fragile Swiss would have preferred to avoid for an opener in which they desperately need a confidence boost.
Switzerland finished second in the easiest of groups after a clumsy qualifying campaign, beating only Andorra in their last eight games and squandering leads late on in four of those matches, against Romania, Kosovo, twice, and Israel.
They will hope to put that behind them when they face Hungary, Scotland and hosts Germany in Group A.
Hungary coach Marco Rossi has introduced a brand of free-flowing football that has been generating excitement at home, with a stellar record since 2022 that has included wins away to England and Germany.
The Italian’s team are built largely around creative midfield maestro Dominik Szoboszlai, who at 23 will be the youngest player to captain a side at a European Championship.
The Liverpool star was injured before Euro 2020 and spoke on June 12 of his anguish in missing out on matches against heavyweights France and Germany that ended in draws and an early exit, fuelling his determination to help Hungary return stronger this time.
“We want to go as far as possible... the team unity is really good, and everyone has to go into the tournament with nothing to lose. If we go into it with the right attitude, we can really achieve something great,” he said.
The Hungarians will be expected to beat Switzerland, based on the form guide.
However, the Swiss will be seeking a victory to rekindle memories of their good showing in Euro 2020, when they eliminated France on penalties and went toe-to-toe with Spain in the quarter-final before losing in a shoot-out.
Coach Murat Yakin will be bolstered by goalkeeper Yann Sommer and defender Manuel Akanji, fresh from winning league titles this season for Inter Milan and Manchester City respectively.
Once-volatile captain Granit Xhaka will lead with confidence and new-found calm after being instrumental in Bayer Leverkusen’s stunning Bundesliga title win this past season.
Defender Silvan Widmer sidestepped questions about Switzerland’s frailties and uncertainty up front, but said fans should expect an unpredictable and dangerous side this time.
“Everyone is fired up. The team spirit is really great. We are all ready and can hardly wait. It’s a real unit again, hungry and wanting to give it their all,” he said. REUTERS
