Switzerland's 'Neutral Nations Match' With Israel 1-1 Draw
Opened in Hungary due to the war between the two countries...Israel will also take advantage of the possibility of entering PO
Captain Xhaka records Switzerland record with 119 A-match appearances
Switzerland has increased its chances of advancing to the Euro 2024 2024 European Football Championship finals after a draw in the "Neutral Nations away match" against Israel, which is at war.
Switzerland drew 1-1 with Israel in the eighth Group I match of Euro 2024 qualifying round at Pancho Arena in Peltzsut, Hungary, on the 16th .
The match is Israel's home game, but it will be held in a neutral country as war broke out between Israel and Palestinian militant Hamas.
Hungary, which is on good terms with Israel, was set as the venue for the match, and the match between the two teams was held under heavy security by the Hungarian military and police, who were wary of possible terrorism.
According to the Associated Press, the Pancho Arena, a small 3,500-seat stadium, is just "a few steps away" from the villa of pro-Israel Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
A resident said, "Checks have been conducted on everyone in and out of the village."
Israel will also play the ninth game of the Euro qualifying round against Romania on the 19th as a neutral home game in the same place. The final 10th match will be held as scheduled in Andorra away.
The draw kept Switzerland in the lead 16 points, while Israel was in the third place 12 points.
Switzerland is more likely to win a direct ticket to the finals, which will be given to the first and second place in the group.
Israel, which is likely to rise to the second place depending on the results of the remaining two games, has secured a berth in the Euro 2024 playoffs PO in the UEFA Nations League UNL.
In the Euro finals, the second-ranked team in each group of qualifiers divided into 10 groups will go directly, and among the teams that did not make it to the second place in the group, teams with good performances in the UNL will try to advance to the Euro finals through PO.
In the 36th minute of the first half, Switzerland scored the first goal with Ruben Vargas' header following Edimilsong Fernandes' diagonal cross.
Israel scored the equalizer only in the 43rd minute of the second half.
When the Swiss defense failed to clear the cross from the left and flowed in front of the net, striker Sean Weissmann shot with his right foot without delay to put the game back to square one.
In the 49th minute of the second half, Fernandes, who helped the first goal, made a rough tackle and was immediately sent off with a red card, but he endured the rest of the time and took one point.
Swiss captain midfielder Granit Xhaka played full time and broke Switzerland's record for most A-match appearances ever. 스포츠토토
Xhaka played A matches for the 119th time, surpassing Heinz Hermann's record of the most appearances 118 times in this category set in 1991.
Zaka, 31, made his A-match debut in June 2011 against England 2-2 draw at Wembley Stadium in England, and has been a key Swiss resource ever since.