Match preview: England vs Switzerland

England and Switzerland playing each other Euro 2022. Photo: BBC Sport

By Finley Chung (02/12/24)

Both England and Switzerland will close out their 2024 calendars by facing off at Bramall Lane in Sheffield on Tuesday evening. 

This is the two nations eighth meeting, with England having never tasted defeat against the Swiss, and winning their last two matches 4-0 against Tuesday night's opponents. 

Both sides come into this after contrasting friendly results; England drawing a blank in a 0-0 against the USA at Wembley on Friday, and Switzerland going down 6-0 to neighbouring Germany on Thursday evening. Both sides will look to finish 2024 on a high. 

The Sparkling Switzerland Story

Since being confirmed as the hosts for next summer's European Championships, the Swiss, especially in the last two international windows, have had events worthy of front page women’s football news. 

Back in October, Switzerland broke their attendance record in the 1-1 draw against Australia, with 14,370 spectators in attendance back two months ago.

That record however, would only stand for a month, as Thursday's game with Germany saw a staggering 17,306 people descend onto the Letzigrund Stadium. Albeit in defeat, they were part of a momentous occasion for Swiss women’s football. 

Looking back to October too, it was an even more memorable occasion three days after the Australia draw, with their 2-1 victory over France, Switzerland’s first over Les Bleus in 22 years, with Naomi Luyet’s winning goal another sparkling moment in the latest chapter of this Swiss team breaking history. 

Do England need to Experiment 

Now, Friday’s performance against the USA taught us two things. England defended very well, arguably the best they have had in a long time, but also, the lack of attacking threat and potency was alarming to say the least. 

Sarina Weigman opted once again for Alessia Russo upfront flanked by Jess Naz and Beth Mead, and once again, the lack of minutes for Aggie Beever-Jones was heavily scruntised by fans on social media.

Missing Lauren Hemp is always going to cause any team problems, obviously, but no shots on target in the first half, with only one in total a damning indictment of England’s poor build up play, something you feel will need a slight altering when they host Switzerland on Tuesday. 

Only making two changes against the USA too was a shock to many inside Wembley, with the ever impressive Grace Clinton not gaining any minutes in a final Wembley outing of 2024. With the two uncapped 21 year olds; Ruby Mace and Laura Blindkilde Brown, who were also not elected to come off the bench, when they perhaps could’ve brought a raw and hungry edge England missed. 

Odds stacked against the visitors

The odds are so firmly stacked against Switzerland for this one, with the seven games having seen five England wins and two draws and Switzerland only scoring five goals in the seven meetings also. 

The last encounter, was a 4-0 win for the Lionesses back in 2022, in England’s final warm up game before the 2022 European Championships. There were second half goals from Alessia Russo, Georgia Stanway, Bethany England and Jill Scott, securing a big win for England before they went on to secure European glory that summer. 

In fact, Switzerland’s last goal against England came in a 1-1 draw in 2013, eleven years ago, will any of the Swiss stars this time round put an end to that unwanted streak?