Switzerland host Andorra on Thursday evening, with Vladimir Petković’s side looking to extend their 100% winning record in their World Cup qualifying campaign. Despite already looking like they have all but secured their place in Russia next year, Switzerland will still be looking to avoid a shock defeat to minnows Andorra, who have just one win to their name to date.
World Cup 2018 Qualifying – AFG Arena, St. Gallen – Thursday 31st August – 19:45 UK Time
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Draw Best Odd of: 33 at Ladbrokes |
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Switzerland
AndorraMatch Preview: Switzerland vs Andorra
With Switzerland being one of the few teams to have won all of their qualifying matches to date, they are the overwhelming favourites to collect another three points against Andorra this week. With an encounter in Latvia to come, manager Petkovic may well look to rest some of this star performers ahead of the clash, potentially offering the visitors a glimmer of hope on Thursday.
Switzerland Team News & Form
The Swiss playing squad is made up of players from around Europe, with only two being currently based in their home country. Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka will be looking to put his troubles at club level to the back of his mind, while the likes of Xherdan Shaqiri, Stephan Lichtsteiner and Ricardo Rodríguez are among the most successful Swiss players. Having scored 12 goals from their six victories to date, whilst conceding just three, it is safe to say that Switzerland are the overwhelming favourites for victory against Andorra.
However, complacency could well be an issue, with Petkovic undoubtedly looking to his more experienced players to help guide them to another three points. Having already defeated European Champions Portugal in front of their home supporters during qualifying, expectations are high in Switzerland in the build-up to this clash.
Andorra Team News & Form
As for Andorra, having defeated Hungary last time around, manager Koldo Álvarez will be hoping for another positive result this week. However, having scored just two goals, while conceding 13, Andorra face a massive task if they are to gain anything from Thursday’s encounter.
Without the star names found within the Swiss squad, the majority of Andorra’s players are based in the country, as well as the lower leagues in Spain. Captain Ildefons Lima is now in his 38th year, with the defender set to make his 108th cap for his country against Switzerland. With just five goals in the squad aside from Lima, scoring goals could well be the main issue for the visitors.
Head to Head
Switzerland and Andorra have met just once in the past, which came back in October, when the Swiss claimed a narrow 2-1 victory.
Betting Odds and Predictions
With the majority of bookmakers offering unattractive odds of Switzerland defeating Andorra due to their dominance in Group B to date, such as 1/66 on from Ladbrokes, utilising other markets is recommended. Backing Switzerland to win both the first and second half is far more appealing, with the same bookmakers offering odds of 1/8 for this market.
Meanwhile, backing Switzerland to score over 4.5 goals is certainly a possibility, with odds of 10/11 found at William Hill.
Top Betting Tip
Our top betting tip for this match is to back Switzerland to keep a clean sheet, which can be found at best odds of 1/4 at 10Bet.