Kosovo vs Switzerland

Kosovo’s last-gasp attempt to reignite their disappointing Euro 2024 qualifying campaign pits them against Switzerland at the Stadiumi Fadil Vokrri.

Kosovo’s underwhelming streak of five consecutive draws ended on matchday two with a dismal 2-1 defeat at Belarus, significantly derailing their hopes of qualifying for a major international tournament since gaining admission to UEFA in 2010. Goals have been at a premium for Kosovo during the ongoing qualification cycle, as they’ve netted under 1.5 goals in all four Group I matches! Anything other than three points in this must-win fixture would probably rule the ‘Dardanians’ out of contention for a top-two finish. However, Primoz Gliha’s men head into proceedings as underdogs, and understandably so, having failed to win their last seven Euro qualifiers (D3, L4) since overcoming Montenegro in October 2019. On the bright side, they’ve only lost once in six home outings in Euro qualifying (W3, D2).

On the other hand, visiting Switzerland would take a giant step toward reaching a third successive European Championship group stage proper for the first time in the nation’s history with a win here. Even though a goal-glutted 2-2 home draw against Romania last time out knocked the ‘Nati’ down from a three-game winning start to their Euro 2024 qualifying adventure, Murat Yakin’s men commence this round atop Group I, three points clear of third-placed Israel. The visitors have excelled on the road thus far, winning both away Group I fixtures by an aggregate score of 7-1 after breaking the deadlock within the opening seven minutes. However, their qualifying form doesn’t tell the whole story. Yakin’s men have, in fact, lost four of their last seven games on hostile turf (W3).