Where: Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban
Referee: Howard Webb….There is a familiar face!
World Rankings: Spain 2. Switzerland 24.
Spain: After a host of draws and some ultra-cautious displays by most teams, let us hope that Spain will break the trend and play some attacking football. They certainly have the ammo to do so.
Injuries: ‘El Nino’ (Torres), Fabregas and Iniesta are all doubtful for Spain’s opening fixture. But so rich is the talent in their squad, that these 3 world class players will not be missed with the likes of Villa and Navas stepping in.
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Form guide : WWWWW
In Murcia, Spain:Spain 6 Poland 0
In Innsbruck, Austria: Spain 1 South Korea 0
In Innsbruck:Spain 3 Saudia Arabia 2
In Paris: France 0 Spain 2
In Vienna: Austria 1 Spain 5
Likely starting lineup: Real Madrid stopper Iker Casillas is Spain’s goalie. The back 4 will be Capdevilla, Puyol, Pique and Ramos. The Midfield will consist of Alonso, Busquets, Xavi, Navas and Silva. Alonso and Busquets will shield the back 4, Xavi will be the link between the attack and defense, and Silva and Navas will be the wingers. David Villa will be the man likely to be up-front on his own.
Switzerland: Traditionally, Switzerland have had good defenses. They went out of the last world cup without conceding a goal, losing to Ukraine on penalties. The last goal they conceded in a world cup final was in USA’94 to Spain. Senderos and Co. will have to be at their tidiest best in order to extend their record. Gokhan Inler, who has been linked with move to Arsenal and Juventus, will be the key man for Switzerland.
Injuries: The Swiss have been hit hard with injuries to 2 key players- the prolific Alxander Frei and the mid fielder, Behrami of West Ham United. The good news is that, bothe these players are expected to be fit for Switzerland’s second match against Chile.
Form guide : DLLDD
In Geneva: Switzerland 1 Italy 1
In Sion: Switzerland 0 Costa Rica 1
In St. Gallen: Switzerland 1 Uruguay 3
In Basel: Switzerland 0 Israel 0
In Geneva: Switzerland 0 Norway 1
Likely starting lineup:
Diego BenaglioStephan Lichtsteiner Philippe Senderos Stéphane Grichting Reto ZieglerTranquillo Barnetta Pirmin SchweglerGökhan InlerBenjamin Huggel Gelson FernandesEren Derdiyok
Preditcion: Spain 3 - 1 Switzerland
