Euro 2024: Hungary vs Switzerland Preview, Prediction & Betting Picks

Hungary take on Switzerland in their opening game of Euro 2024, with both teams outsiders hoping to progress far in the competition.

Date: 6/15/24

Kick-off time: 6:00 am Pacific Time

Venue: RheinEnergieStadion

This will be Hungary’s fifth appearance at the European Championships, and they will be competing in their third successive tournament. Last time in 2021, they finished bottom of their group, but will be looking to advance from what is a competitive group. They join hosts Germany, Scotland and their first opponents Switzerland in Group A. After Germany, the group seems wide open, which should give Hungary some optimism. In 2016, they topped their group, but were eliminated by Belgium in the Round of 16.

Similarly, Switzerland will be confident in advancing from the group. This will be the sixth time they play at the Euros, with their best finish coming in 2021 as they made it to the quarter-final, where they lost on penalties against Spain. They caused a huge upset of then World Champions France, who they knocked out on penalties after a thrilling 3-3 draw. They qualified for this summer’s tournament by finishing second in their group behind Romania.

Both teams come into this game on the back of contrasting results in their final friendly fixtures, Hungary beating Israel and Switzerland drawing against Austria. Xherdan Shaqiri will be one of the main men for the Swiss. He has scored twice this season in 12 games for Chicago Fire, but has scored twice in his country’s last three games. Hungary will lean on star man Dominik Szoboszlai. The midfielder has been inconsistent for Liverpool this season, scoring seven goals in all competitions, but has seen more success for his country, scoring four goals in eight qualifying fixtures. Switzerland have been strong in defence, keeping clean sheets in three of their last four games, as have Hungary, meaning this game could be decided by a single goal.

This will be the 46th meeting between Hungary and Switzerland, so the pair have plenty of experience playing against one another historically. Hungary have been the superior side, winning 30 games to Switzerland’s 11, with five draws. However, recent years have not been in Hungary’s favour. Switzerland currently have a three game winning streak against their opponents, the last game being in 2017. They played a pair of World Cup qualifiers, though these were the first meetings since 2002. Switzerland won both by scores of 3-2 and 5-2.

Hungary Team News

Dominik Szoboszlai is the standout star for Hungary, whilst goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi and defender Willi Orban provide a reliable and experienced presence. Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez will hope to play a big role.

Switzerland Team News

Granit Xhaka will captain the side, and Xherdan Shaqiri will hope to play a big role. There will be Premier League representation from Manchester City’s Manuel Akanji and Newcastle’s Fabian Schar.

Hungary Form Guide

In their last five games, Hungary have won four and lost one. It has been a strong stretch for Hungary as they prepare for the upcoming Euros. They started this run with a 3-1 win against Montenegro in their final qualifying game. They fell behind to a Slobodan Rubezic opener, but Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai scored twice in as many minutes to turn it around. Adam Nagy added a third in stoppage time.

A second win in a row followed with a 1-0 victory over Turkey. It was a very even game with little to split the two sides. However, the decisive goal came from the spot, with Szoboszlai converting a 48th minute penalty. Kosovo were the next opponents to be defeated, this time 2-0. Szoboszlai’s excellent scoring form continued as he broke the deadlock again. Zsolt Nagy scored the second in the friendly.

Their only loss of this run came away from home at Republic of Ireland. Adam Idah broke the deadlock for the hosts, but this was cancelled out by Adam Lang before half-time. The winner came very late as Troy Parrott netted in the 92nd minute. Their most recent game was a friendly against Israel, in which they won 3-0 thanks to a Roland Sallai goal and Barnabas Varga brace.

Switzerland Form Guide

In their last five games, Switzerland have won two, drawn two and lost one. It has been an inconsistent stretch for Switzerland but they were able to secure their place in the European Championships. They started this run with a 1-0 loss at Romania in their final qualifying game, though they had already qualified. It was an even game in terms of shot attempts, though the visitors enjoyed more possession. The only goal of the game came in the 50th minute, with Denis Alibec providing the winning strike.

Two friendlies followed, the first a goalless draw away at Denmark. It was a game with limited big chances, as the two sides combined for just four shots on target. Switzerland possessed slightly more of the ball, but neither were able to find the back of the net. One of their wins in this run came against the Republic of Ireland as they narrowly beat them 1-0. They restricted their Irish opponents to just one shot on goal, though they mustered three of their own. However, this time they were able to take one of their opportunities, with Xherdan Shaqiri scoring the winning goal from a free-kick in the 23rd minute.

A crushing 4-0 win over Estonia made it two wins in a row, as they dominated their opponents from start to finish. Steven Zuber scored the first, which gave them a one-goal lead at the break. Zeki Amdouni doubled the lead immediately after the restart, before Nico Elvedi added another, and Shaqiri converted from the penalty spot. Their most recent game was a home friendly against Austria, in which they drew 1-1. Christian Baumgartner scored the opener for Austria, but Silvan Widmer levelled it before the break.

Both teams are in good form heading into the Euros, which will make for a very competitive and close game in their tournament opener. However, we expect Switzerland’s quality and experience to prevail, with them just edging a victory – Hungary 1-2 Switzerland

Hungary vs Switzerland will be available to watch on Vix and SiriusXM FC