Euro 2016 Suisse watch: Which three players should England fear?

Sep 8

We have a look into which three players may cause England problems in Switzerland

By @BETFUZE

Don’t forget to follow @BETFUZE on Twitter

Switzerland’s attacking threat has more than meets the eye

Hooray England won an international! A run of five winless games was broken on the sixth attempt via a Wayne Rooney penalty against a pretty ordinary Norway side. Roy Hodgson’s men kick-off their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign with a tricky away tie in Basel on Monday, against a Switzerland side who have only lost twice in their last 22 international fixtures.

We take a look into who will cause England problems in the Swiss side.

1. Granit Xhaka

The Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder is just 21 and has been compared to Bastian Schweinsteiger by Ottmar Hitzfeld. Xhaka will be free to roam the midfield with the protection of Valon Behrami and Gokhan Inler sitting behind him, but it is his range of passing that England will need to limit. Either operating through the middle or drifting out to the left, Xhaka’s space will need to be closed down by England’s midfield.

2. Xherdan Shaqiri

Nicknamed “The Magic Dwarf” Shaqiri is the most well known and biggest threat of the Swiss side. His low centre of gravity and stocky build make getting the ball off of him a tricky proposition. The Bayern Munich player will find pockets of space between the England midfield and back four, but he also possesses the pace to go beyond lone striker Josip Drmic. His rocket of a left foot also means he can score from virtually anywhere on the park.

3. Josip Drmic

Centre forward Drmic had a dissapointing World Cup following the season he had with previous club Nuremburg. 17 goals in Bundesliga last season is no mean feat, particulalry for a club that was relegated. Operating as a lone striker or winger, his abundance of pace will scare England’s centre-halves, but it is his ability to sniff out a goal which is most impressive and dangerous.