Switzerland will play Denmark in Copenhagen on Thursday evening for the first time with Gregor Kobel as their starting goalkeeper. The central defense is also of particular interest.
"It's something special," admits Gregor Kobel ahead of his first international match as the Swiss national team's number 1. Although the 26-year-old from Zurich has already experienced a lot at club level and has already played five international matches for Switzerland, the pressure is likely to be quite high in Copenhagen's Parken Stadium. "I'll see how nervous I am on match day. But nervousness is part of the game. The important thing is how you deal with it." Above all, it is a great pleasure to play for his country, said Kobel a good 24 hours before the first match of the new Nations League.
National coach Murat Yakin did not yet want to reveal who will form the three-man defense in front of the goalkeeper, even though he already has clarity about this. With the withdrawal of Fabian Schär from the national team, one place has become vacant compared to the European Championship. Nico Elvedi and Denis Zakaria are the most promising candidates. Zakaria, Monaco's defensive midfielder who has made a strong start to the season, could benefit from the fact that Yakin generally tries to find a position in the starting line-up for players who are in good form. The central midfield is firmly in the hands of captain Granit Xhaka and Remo Freuler, leaving a possible place in defense for the Monegasque.
Another open question that will be answered soon is the penalty taker. Yakin has not decided who will take over this role from the retired Xherdan Shaqiri. "As captain, Granit will decide in the game who scores the penalties," said the coach, who did not want to reveal much the day before the start of the new international season. But he knows that expectations are high: "We earned that at the European Championship."
The possible line-ups:
Denmark - Switzerland
Thursday, 20.45 hrs. - SR Siebert (GER).
Switzerland: Kobel; Zakaria, Akanji, Rodriguez; Widmer, Freuler, Xhaka, Aebischer; Rieder, Vargas; Embolo.
Denmark: Schmeichel; Nelsson, Andersen, Vestergaard; Bah, Hjulmand, Höjbjerg, Kristiansen; Eriksen; Wind, Poulsen.
