Switzerland face Sweden in the World Cup qualifiers in Geneva on Saturday evening. Nati coach Murat Yakin expects his team to play a dominant game and hopes that they can secure their World Cup ticket early.
Murat Yakin on ...
... the replacement for the injured Remo Freuler:
"Of course it's a shame that Remo isn't here. Unfortunately, Denis Zakaria and Ardon Jashari are also missing. But I have several options. Djibril Sow, Michel Aebischer or even Simon Sohm. I see Johan Manzambi as a bit more offensive. We've tried out a few things this week, which has given me some insights. I don't want to reveal yet who will play (alongside Granit Xhaka) and want to get a final impression of the final training session."
... the new Sweden coach Graham Potter:
"I don't know him, I've never played against him. That's why the preparation is not easy. We can only guess how they'll play by looking at the line-up. But I don't want to keep my team too busy with that. We know the individual players, we know their individual class. Now they have a new coach, that certainly gives them a certain euphoria. But we're playing at home and are strong enough to take on the challenge."
... his expectations for the game against Sweden:
"In Sweden we saw that they have their strength in offense and can be very dangerous. We're playing at home and I expect us to play a dominant game. We want to put them under pressure and try to get the ball into the danger zone. Of course, we also know that our opponents can play different systems."
... the reasons for the national team's good record in Geneva:
"It's always nice to be here. The positive results here are a good omen for us. There's always a good atmosphere here. The Romands always give us a very warm welcome and support us loudly. We've had a good week and are looking forward to playing in front of our fantastic fans."
... the parallel match between Slovenia and Kosovo (if Switzerland pick up more points than Kosovo, they are guaranteed a World Cup ticket):
"We want to focus on ourselves first and foremost, but will certainly be connected with Ljubljana. At half-time, we'll see what the result looks like in Slovenia. Then we can react accordingly. Of course, we'd like to seal the deal on Saturday, but we also need a bit of help from the Slovenians."
Live ticker of the press conference
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Then all questions are answered
The press conference is over.
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Yakin on Sweden coach Potter
"I'll meet him for the first time tomorrow. He's a great coach who has coached great players," said the national team coach. "Our game in Sweden was not so easy. With the new coach they will be motivated. It will be our job to stop them."
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Yakin's anticipation
"We have something big planned for tomorrow. Of course, it's not just up to us, it also depends on the result in Slovenia," says Yakin and emphasizes: "We're looking forward to a great atmosphere in Geneva. We've always been very loudly supported."
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The Nati back in top form?
"We had a difficult phase. But we never had the feeling that we were bad. But we lost too much for our liking," says Embolo. "To get to a World Cup, you have to win games. We managed to do that." They were able to improve defensively and offensively. "Things are going great at the moment. But we still have two important games left. It's up to us to seal the deal."
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Embolo on the role at his new club Rennes
"That doesn't matter now. I'm here and fully focused on the national team," the national team striker blocks out.
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Is it a special challenge that Sweden has a new coach?
"It's not so easy when you haven't seen a game yet. You can only guess a little from the selection," says Yakin. "But we don't want to let it drive us crazy. I don't want to keep my team too busy with it." The players know each other, after all. "We play at home and are strong enough to adopt their system straight away. We have focused on ourselves."
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Yakin on the parallel match between Slovenia and Kosovo at the same time
"The important thing is that we focus on our game," said Yakin. "We'll certainly be connected and get the information, but that won't be important until half-time. First and foremost we look at ourselves, but we have to look at several phases of the game and also at the opponent."
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Who will replace the injured Freuler?
Remo Freuler, an important player, is missing. "I have several options in this position. It's a great pity that, after Remo, we also don't have Denis Zakaria and Ardon Jashari available," said Yakin. Nevertheless, he has several options to replace Freuler with Aebischer, Sow or Manzambi. The national team coach does not want to reveal any more.
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The press conference begins
What do national team coach Murat Yakin and Breel Embolo say the day before the game against Sweden?
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Akanji on the Swedes: "They will come here and step on the gas"
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Michel Aebischer back in the national team: "I hope to be in the starting eleven"
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Manzambi: "I was very happy when I found out that I could play in Geneva"
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Yakin: "I'm not at all afraid of a final against Kosovo"
