Belarus – Switzerland

The favourite to win comfortably at the start of the qualifying tournament

The match between Belarus and Switzerland on Saturday will be played on a neutral pitch, due to political circumstances. The match will be played at Serbia's Karadjordje Stadium in Novi Sad. The opponents were drawn in the same group as Romania, Israel, Andorra and Kosovo. Together, these six teams form one of the toughest groups in the qualifying round, and the Swiss are a clear contender for a place in Euro 2024. Murat Yakin's squad has a transfer value of €231.5m, which is more than 18 times that of Belarus's 12.45, according to specialist media reports. Switzerland are ranked 12th by FIFA, while their upcoming opponents are 97th. Bookmakers put Switzerland at a paltry 1.21 odds to win the meeting in Novi Sad. The Belarusian team has become one of the worst teams in Europe in recent years. In the 2021 World Cup qualifiers, the Belarusian squad finished last in one of the weaker qualifying groups, trailing even Estonia. The team's troubles continued in 2022, when in the same company as Slovakia, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan they failed to win even once, dropping out in Liga D to teams on the level of Gibraltar and San Marino. Belarus have only one player with a transfer value in excess of €1 million. That's the naturalized Cameroonian Max Ebong. Switzerland shone in their group at the World Cup, qualifying in the 1/8 finals thanks to their final-round victory over Serbia. In the play-offs, Yakin's team suffered a dreadful defeat at the hands of Portugal, but met the minimum target, allowing the federation to retain the coach. The Swiss have featured among the elite in all three editions of the Nations League, and in 2022 they confirmed their place in the same group as Spain and the aforementioned Portugal. Switzerland and Belarus have met three times. In all cases, the Red Crusaders claimed victory without conceding a goal. The Swiss have been making rapid progress of late, so they are well on their way to qualifying for Euro 2024.