Switzerland needs just one more win

The Swiss national soccer team has the opportunity to secure its ticket to the 2026 World Cup on Saturday evening in front of a home crowd in Geneva. On the penultimate matchday in Group B, coach Murat Yakin’s team has all the cards in its own hands. If Switzerland beats Sweden at home, the 2004 European Championship quarterfinalists will virtually secure the group victory. Due to their significantly better goal difference and three-point lead over Kosovo, even the upcoming direct duel on Tuesday would not change anything.

Compared to the first leg, which the Swiss deservedly won 2-0 in Sweden, the task in front of their own fans threatens to be even more complicated. Why? Because a lot has happened with their Scandinavian opponents since the international matches in October. First and foremost is the appointment of Graham Potter as the new coach.

Not so long ago, the 50-year-old Englishman was one of the most sought-after coaches in the Premier League, but after unsuccessful spells at Chelsea FC and most recently at West Ham United, Potter, who once led Swedish club Östersund to the first division and then even to international competition, now wants to try his luck with a national team.

Potter actually has a good squad at his disposal, with some very prominent players at the forefront, but they have fallen far short of their own expectations in the World Cup qualifiers so far. The impressions from the first four matchdays in Group B are also the main reason why the best betting providers are clearly favoring the Swiss national team ahead of their clash with Sweden.

The players from the Alpine republic have ten points to their name and have not conceded a single goal. The Northern Europeans, on the other hand, are at the bottom of the table with a disappointing one point. The “Tre Kronor” left the field as losers three times in a row in the World Cup qualifiers. The 0-1 home defeat against Kosovo on October 13 finally led to a change of coach, which many local experts had long considered overdue.

The situation for the yellow and blue team is clear ahead of the final two matches: only two wins and help from other teams could see Sweden climb to second place. However, even before the Switzerland vs. Sweden match, the odds on the three-way market suggest that it will take a minor miracle for the world number 40, who last appeared in a World Cup finals in 2018 but has missed three of the last four World Cups.

Considering that Viktor Gyökeres, one of their most important offensive players, is out with an injury and his usually congenial strike partner Alexander Isak has yet to get going at Liverpool FC, there is a lack of subjective belief that Graham Potter will achieve the hinted-at miracle and score three points with his team in Geneva.

That is precisely why I recommend betting on 1X & Under 3.5 between Switzerland and Sweden, which even covers a potential draw.

Switzerland – Sweden Head-to-head record / H2H balance

There have been 14 international matches between Switzerland and Sweden. The Swiss have won five times, with three draws and six wins for the Tre Kronor. However, only the last two direct encounters are relevant for the upcoming match. At the 2018 World Cup, Sweden narrowly won their round of 16 match 1-0 against Switzerland and sensationally reached the quarter-finals.

Almost exactly a month ago, however, Yakin’s team deservedly came out on top. Thanks to a penalty converted by Granit Xhaka and a late goal from Freiburg pro Johan Manzambi, the Swiss won 2-0 in Solna in front of 50,000 spectators. On Saturday evening, however, a different coach will take his place on the Scandinavian bench. Graham Potter replaces the luckless Jon Dahl Tomasson.

Switzerland – Sweden Tip

At UEFA level, there are currently few national teams in better form than Switzerland. The “Nati” has not lost any of its last eight international matches. In the entire 2025 calendar year, Yakin’s team has six wins and two draws. In Group B, last year’s European Championship quarter-finalists have therefore put themselves in a very comfortable position. Even if they lose to Sweden on Saturday evening, a draw on the last matchday in Kosovo would be enough to secure direct qualification for the World Cup.

But Xhaka and Co. don’t want to let it come to that, of course. Instead, they want to keep a clean sheet in their sixth consecutive international match and once again leave the field as winners. If you want to combine these two approaches, you can get attractive odds of 1.75 at Oddset for the Switzerland vs. Sweden tip on 1X & Under 3.5.