The scene of the game
In the 58th minute, Breel Embolo intercepted a short back pass from substitute Gabriel Gudmundsson. The Swiss striker then stumbled while attempting to round goalkeeper Victor Johansson – likely due to slight contact from the keeper. Belgian referee Erik Lambrechts awarded a penalty and upheld his decision even after a VAR review. Granit Xhaka confidently converted the spot kick, sealing Switzerland's victory.
Switzerland's World Cup ticket is now within reach, but not yet mathematically secured. Because Kosovo won their parallel match in Slovenia, they could still snatch the direct World Cup berth from Switzerland. However, they would need at least a 6-0 victory in their head-to-head match on Tuesday, as goal difference would decide qualification in case of a tie on points.
The key figure
Efficiency isn't always one of Breel Embolo's greatest strengths, but against Sweden he capitalized on his first chance in the 12th minute, moving into the top 10 of the all-time Swiss national team goalscorers list and overtaking none other than legendary striker Stéphane Chapuisat. Before the decisive 2-1 goal, he acted quickly and cleverly, winning the penalty that Grant Xhaka then confidently converted.
The better team
The Swiss national team started the match focused and, after taking an early lead, seemed to have everything under control, before Sweden equalized seemingly out of nowhere and then found their rhythm much better. After the break, the Swiss stepped up their game. Ndoye's third goal sealed the victory.
The chorus of voices in the stands
Because of a tragic bus accident in Stockholm on Friday afternoon that resulted in fatalities and injuries, the Swedish players wore black armbands during their match at the Stade de Genève. The Swedish Football Association (SFV) issued a statement expressing its deepest condolences to the families of the victims.
The gates
12’ | 0:1 | Ndoye broke through on the right wing and brought the ball low into the middle, where Embolo confidently shot the ball into the goal.
33' | 1:1 | The Swiss defense failed to clear a cross properly. The ball fell to Nygren, who fired it past Kobel into the net with his left foot.
60’ | 2:1 | Captain Xhaka ran up, sent Johansson in the wrong corner and converted safely to give Switzerland the lead again.
76' | 3:1 | Vargas played a through ball to Ndoye. He controlled the ball well and shot with his left foot. The ball took a slight deflection and then found the back of the net!
90+3’ | 4:1 | Substitute Manzambi sealed the deal with the 4:1 goal. A brilliant move by the Geneva native in his hometown.
The other game: Kosovo without problems
Kosovo cruised to a 2-0 away victory against Slovenia. They took the lead after just six minutes through Fisnik Asllani. Later, Slovenian Petar Stojanovic provided some truly bizarre moments. He was substituted on at halftime, received a yellow card for a foul in the 47th minute, and committed another foul in the 53rd minute – resulting in a second yellow and a red card! Stojanovic thus opted for a short stint on the pitch that evening. Shortly afterward, Slovenia's Zan Karnicnik scored an own goal – the final score.
Switzerland concludes its World Cup qualifying campaign with a match against Kosovo in Pristina on Tuesday. If all goes according to plan, the Swiss national team should then secure their World Cup berth.
