Switzerland is on the brink of another FIFA World Cup appearance, maintaining their flawless record in the qualification rounds with a commanding 3-0 triumph over Slovenia in Basel. This victory marks their second win in as many matches in Group B, while Slovenia, who had entered this match with an impressive streak of six unbeaten qualifiers, tasted defeat for the first time in seven outings.
From the outset, the Swiss displayed their offensive prowess, continuing a remarkable run that had seen them score 15 goals over four successive victories. The action kicked off fervently when Slovenia’s goalkeeper Jan Oblak was called into action early, deftly tipping Silvan Widmer’s volley over the crossbar in the 17th minute, signaling that the Swiss were determined to dominate the game.
Following the corner taken by Ruben Vargas, Nico Elvedi capitalized on a defensive lapse, heading the ball into the bottom corner to put Switzerland ahead. The hosts were relentless, with Vargas attempting another shot shortly after, and Dan Ndoye nearly doubling the lead with a curling effort that narrowly missed the target.
In a display of tactical brilliance, Switzerland’s Fabian Rieder found himself in a prime position in the 32nd minute, unleashing a powerful shot that was expertly blocked by Oblak. However, the Slovenian captain’s frustrations with his defense were palpable, and just a minute later, they fell behind again. Another corner, this time from Rieder, found Breel Embolo, who made no mistake, nodding in his sixth goal in five international appearances.
The Swiss didn’t stop there. Just five minutes later, Granit Xhaka delivered a perfect through ball to Remo Freuler, who squared it for Ndoye to emphatically smash into the roof of the net, leaving Slovenia reeling. Despite a couple of wayward attempts from Zan Vipotnik, Slovenia struggled to find their footing before halftime.
The second half saw Slovenia attempt to shift momentum, but the Swiss defense remained robust. A strike from Benjamin Sesko finally tested Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, who was forced into action with a save. Switzerland seemed to control the game comfortably, with a Xhaka shot that went straight to Oblak being one of the few late attempts from either side.
With this victory, Switzerland not only secured their second win “to nil” of this qualification campaign, following a 4-0 demolition of Kosovo, but also solidified their position at the top of the group with a three-point cushion. Slovenia, now with just one point after a previous draw with Sweden, faces a steep challenge ahead if they wish to qualify for their first World Cup since 2010. The road ahead looks daunting for Matjaz Kek’s squad, who will need to regroup and refocus in their upcoming matches.
