Euro 2024 Preview: Croatia and Albania Meet in a Crucial Match; Germany and Switzerland Look To Advance

The second round of group matches of Euro 2024 get underway on Wednesday with hosts Germany taking on Hungary and Scotland playing against Switzerland. Croatia and Albania will look to put their first game disappointments behind them when they face each other in a crucial Group B clash.

Croatia vs Albania (Group B)

Croatia and Albania will play their second Euro 2024 Group B match at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg. Both teams suffered defeats in their opening matches with Albania losing to Italy 2-1 and Croatia defeated by Spain 3-0. Defeat to any team would put them on the brink of elimination while as a draw would do no good to either side in the points table.

Albania forward Forward Jasir Asani will be a doubt for the crucial game due to an ankle issue with Rey Manaj or Armando Broja the possible replacements for Albanian No. 9.

Germany vs Hungary (Group A)

Germany will face Hungary in their second group game at Stuttgart. The hosts ran out as comfortable 5-1 winners in their opening fixture against Scotland. Hungary on the other hand faced defeat against Switzerland losing 3-1. The hosts would be all but through to the next round of the competition with a win while as Hungary would feel they need to take something from this game to keep their chances of progression alive.

The two sides are familiar with each other’s game as six of eleven players who started against Switzerland for Hungary play their club football in Germany. The two sides also met in Euro 2020 group stage and the game ended in a hard-fought 2-2 draw.

Scotland vs Switzerland (Group A)

The Swiss sit pretty in second position of group A after an impressive win over Hungary in their first match. They will now play Scotland in their second match in Cologne. Scotland were blown away by the Germans on opening day and will now look to bounce back against the Swiss.

Xerdan Shaqiri will once again lead the Swiss attack with in-form Granit Xhaka in the middle. Scotland will put their hopes of finding the back of the net on Che Adams. They will have to cope without first-choice defender Ryan Porteous who is suspended following a red card against Germany.

The two teams have only met once in the European competitions previously with Scotland winning 1-0 in 1996. The pair’s last meeting came in an international friendly in 2006 at Hampden Park with Switzerland winning 3-1.