Switzerland vs Australia Predictions
A tough-to-beat Swiss side should have too many weapons for an out-of-form Australia.
I have my stake on Switzerland to claim victory in Saturday's World Cup warm-up fixture.
Swiss Win Likely
- Switzerland won 8 of their last 12 matches
- Australia lost 4 of their last 6 matches
Switzerland and Australia Set For Second Meeting
Switzerland and Australia will meet for the second time on Saturday. The spoils were shared in a goalless draw in their only previous encounter 16 years ago.
Swiss Make Toast of Jordan
Switzerland complete their World Cup preparations after a comfortable 4-1 win against Jordan in St. Gallen last weekend. Premier League rivals Granit Xhaka and Dan Ndoye were both on the scoresheet as the Swiss eased to a well-deserved victory.
Murat Yakin's side impressed on the front foot, registering 19 shots with a final xG total of 3.5
Before Sunday's dominant win, Switzerland had failed to win four of their last five fixtures. Still, despite their mixed recent form, the Swiss have remained tough to beat. Yakin's men lost only one of 13 games since March 2025.
Qualification for the upcoming World Cup was secured with relative ease. Switzerland remained unbeaten in UEFA Group B, finishing top of the section with four wins, including a dominant 4-1 victory against Sweden.
The Rossocrociati have performed well in recent friendly fixtures, securing four wins in their last six matches. Strong on the front foot, Switzerland scored three goals or more in all four victories.
Australia Beaten Again
Australia face their final World Cup warm-up fixture after a hard-fought 1-0 defeat to Mexico at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena last weekend.
Johan Vásquez's first-half goal proved the difference in a tight contest in California. Both teams struggled to create clear-cut chances, with final xG totals of 0.86 and 0.74 reflecting the tight nature of the contest.
Tony Popovic's side have been unable to find winning momentum ahead of their sixth successive World Cup appearance. The Socceroos have lost four and won just one of six friendlies since October last year.
A lack of firepower remains a concern for Australia, with just one goal scored in those four friendly reversals.
Before their recent downturn in form, the Australians had enjoyed a 12-game unbeaten run, including seven successive victories between March and October last year.
Squads and Team News
Switzerland Squad
Goalkeepers: Gregor Kobel, Yvon Mvogo, Marvin Keller.
Defenders: Miro Muheim, Silvan Widmer, Nico Elvedi, Manuel Akanji, Ricardo Rodriguez, Eray Comert, Aurele Amenda, Luca Jaquez.
Midfielders: Denis Zakaria, Remo Freuler, Johan Manzambi, Granit Xhaka, Ardon Jashari, Djibril Sow, Christian Fassnacht, Michel Aebischer, Fabian Rieder.
Forwards: Breel Embolo, Dan Ndoye, Ruben Vargas, Noah Okafor, Zeki Amdouni, Cedric Itten.
Murat Yakin is unlikely to make too many alterations from the XI that started against Jordan.
Marvin Keller, Luca Jaquez and Ricardo Rodriguez could all come into the side after featuring from the bench last time out, while Christian Fassnacht is also pushing for a recall.
Breel Embolo could miss out after he was denied entry to the US due to a visa issue.
Australia Squad
Goalkeepers: Mathew Ryan, Paul Izzo, Patrick Beach.
Defenders: Milos Degenek, Alessandro Circati, Jacob Italiano, Jordan Bos, Jason Geria, Kai Trewin, Aziz Behich, Harry Souttar, Cameron Burgess, Lucas Herrington.
Midfielders: Connor Metcalfe, Ajdin Hrustic, Aiden O'Neill, Cammy Devlin, Jackson Irvine, Paul Okon-Engstler.
Forwards: Mathew Leckie, Mohamed Toure, Awer Mabil, Nestory Irankunda, Cristian Volpato, Nishan Velupillay, Tete Yengi.
Head coach Popovic could make some changes from the side that slipped to defeat against Mexico. Kai Trewin, Ajdin Hrustic and Paul Okon-Engstler could all come into the side after their second-half introductions.
Speaking ahead of the defeat against Mexico, Popovic called for his side to display their mental strength in their upcoming World Cup campaign.
"We need real characters, real personalities as players on the pitch," Popovic told ESPN. "But you learn a lot about whether they have that off the pitch as well. Every player is different.
"They need to bring their own personality and their own way of playing and to be themselves off the pitch as well. That's what makes a great team, that you have all these different attributes on and off the park."