Switzerland also play their fourth World Cup qualifying match with a clean sheet. Nevertheless, the victory they were aiming for was not achieved in Slovenia. This makes the next home game against Sweden all the more important, Murat Yakin also emphasizes.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Switzerland suffer their first loss in the World Cup qualifiers. In Slovenia, the Nati could not get past a 0-0 draw.
- "We had trouble getting through against the well-organized Slovenian defence," said Yakin after the game.
- After a 1-0 win in Sweden, Kosovo remain the Nati's main rivals for the group win. If Switzerland miss out on victory in their next home game, it could come down to a final in Pristina.
The World Cup ticket will have to wait. With a win in Slovenia and help from Sweden, the Nati could have sealed the deal already - now the situation is completely different: Because Kosovo won in Sweden and Switzerland were held to a 0-0 draw in Slovenia, the Kosovars moved back to within three points of Murat Yakin's team.
"We wanted to play our usual game. But we had trouble getting through against the well-organized Slovenians. They played in a 5-4-1. When there are so many opponents in the final third, it's difficult against any team," said Yakin after the clean sheet in Ljubljana.
After his team were able to carve out many chances in Stockholm, their offense remained pale for long stretches on Monday. "They closed us down cleverly. We wanted to attack deep with Sow and Embolo, looking for one-on-one duels. Vargas was blocked, Ndoye tried a lot with his pace, but somehow there were always too many opponents. It was difficult, we also lacked luck. And the pitch didn't play into our hands either."
A clean sheet, but no mood dampener
However, a clean sheet in the fourth game. Yakin is correspondingly satisfied with his team's defensive performance. "We didn't concede a goal again. Of course, the team always wants to win, we've slowly got used to that. But if you've seen the game, you have to be satisfied with a point." This zero number is not a mood dampener.
The Swiss still have to travel to Kosovo in their final qualifying match. To avoid an emotionally charged final match, they need a win against Sweden in Geneva on November 15. "If we play our game, I'm convinced that we can win again. We will certainly play to win at home against Sweden," says Yakin.
He is not afraid of a final in Pristina. "It's remarkable what Kosovo are doing. But we're not afraid of anyone. And if it has to come to a decision in the last game, then we will also take on this task."
