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Switzerland will be aiming to kick off World Cup Group B with a win when they take on Qatar at Levi's Stadium on Saturday night.
The Swiss have reached the last-16 in the last three World Cups, and will be aiming for a similar achievement again as they have been drawn in a favourable group for them on paper.
Meanwhile, Qatar's expectations will be lower having only qualified for their first World Cup as hosts in 2022, but they will still want to make a name for themselves in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Qatar vs. Switzerland key stats
- Qatar are winless in six games in all competitions (D2, L4).
- Switzerland have lost just once in 14 matches across all competitions (W8, D5).
- Switzerland are ranked 37 places above Qatar in the world rankings.
Qatar vs. Switzerland preview: Swiss to seal win?
| Qatar | vs | Switzerland |
|---|---|---|
| 56 | FIFA Ranking | 19 |
| Hassan Al-Haydos (186) | Most Caps | Granit Xhaka (146) |
| Almoez Ali (55) | Most Goals | Breel Embolo (24) |
| 1416 | Total Caps | 1132 |
| 208 | Total Goals | 124 |
| 0 | Uncapped Players | 0 |
Qatar failed to make it past the group stage of the 2022 World Cup, despite havig home advantage.
They may struggle to reach the knockouts again being in what looks to be a competitive Group B alongside Switzerland, Canada and Bosnia & Herzegovina.
Still, one advantage the Asian qualifiers have is that they will be used to the extreme weather conditions with a lot of their squad based in Qatar, while Julen Lopetegui is an experienced manager with an impressive CV at club level.
Qatar also have no fresh concerns in their squad, so can pick their strongest possible side here.
As for Switzerland, Noah Okafor appears their only fitness doubt, but they boast plenty of attacking talent like top scorer in the squad Breel Embolo.
Captain Granit Xhaka is also an incredible leader and will look to drive them forward on the pitch, with the Swiss aiming to take the advantage.
Murat Yakin's side could be dark horses in the World Cup having regularly reached the knockout stages, and they are extremely tough to beat having miraculously never fallen behind in qualifying (W4, D2).
Nonetheless, Switzerland will be favourites to open their campaign with victory.
Qatar vs. Switzerland form guide & betting tips
| Qatar | vs | Switzerland |
|---|---|---|
LDLLD |
Form | DLDWD |
| 1 | Goals For | 9 |
| 6 | Goals Against | 7 |
N/A |
World Cup | N/A |
Whispers predicts: Qatar 0-2 Switzerland
Switzerland are 2/9 (1.22) favourites to win, but while we are siding with the bookies, these odds are too short for us to back.
Instead, our first pick is BTTS – No at 3/5 (1.60), given Qatar have scored just once across their last five games.
Four of those also featured two or fewer goals, so Under 2.5 goals at 5/4 (2.25) could also be worth backing.
In terms of player bets, we mentioned that Embolo is the top scorer in the Swiss squad, and five of his 24 strikes have been at major tournaments.
Embolo to score anytime at 37/40 (1.93) therefore also has a decent chance of coming through in our eyes.
Overall we are predicting a 2-0 Switzerland win, which is available at 5/1 (6.00).
> BTTS – No at 3/5 (1.60) | Likelihood: Probable
> Embolo to score anytime at 37/40 (1.93) | Likelihood: Probable
> Under 2.5 goals at 5/4 (2.25) | Likelihood: Possible