The match
The mood within the Switzerland camp is buoyant after they kicked off their FIFA Women’s World Cup™ with a 2-0 win over the Philippines. La Nati now have the chance to collect another three points against Norway and potentially book an early place in the last 16.
By contrast, Norway suffered a surprise 1-0 defeat by New Zealand in an opening game in which they consistently struggled against the lively Black Ferns. The result ramps up the pressure on the Scandinavian side after a thoroughly disappointing UEFA Women’s EURO campaign last year in which they failed to progress past the group stage.
Team news
Switzerland’s victory over the Philippines was the first for new Swiss national team coach Inka Grings. The squad now appear to be fully fit after injury worries surrounding several players in the build-up to the tournament, most notably captain Lia Walti, who played around 75 minutes of the opening match.
With no reports of injuries from the Norwegian camp, Hege Riise is likely to have a full squad of players at her disposal.
Players to watch
Ramona Bachmann
The experienced Ramona Bachmann once again showed why she is the mainstay of La Nati’s attack and was rewarded for her efforts with a goal. While the Swiss now face a challenge of a different calibre as they prepare to take on Norway, Bachmann’s experience in Europe’s top leagues means she knows her opponents extremely well.
Caroline Graham Hansen
On the back of an outstanding season for Barcelona, expectations are also understandably high for Caroline Graham Hansen in the national team – especially as Norway’s second match could prove decisive after their disappointing start to the tournament. She plays alongside one of the world’s best strikers in Ada Hegerberg, and together the pair have every chance of getting the Norwegians back on track.
Facts and figures
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There will be several club team-mates clashing against each other in this one: Switzerland’s Noelle Maritz and Lia Walti will be going up against fellow Arsenal team-mate Frida Maanum, who plays an instrumental role in Norway’s midfield, Eseosa Aigbogun (SUI) will face Roma team-mates Emilie Haavi (NOR) and Sophie Roman Haug (NOR) and Barcelona’s Ana Maria Crnogorcevic (SUI) will face Caroline Graham Hansen (NOR) and Ingrid Syrstad Engen.
Quotes
“For me, Norway are still one of the big favourites with the players they have, so I’m expecting a very intense game. We saw where their weaknesses are and what they don’t particularly enjoy against New Zealand. They didn’t really like the aggression that New Zealand showed over 90 minutes. We can only get the upper hand if we stay compact while being aggressive. We know that the situation [in the group] is very dangerous, but it could also give us a chance to wrap things up. Although we’re aware of the challenge, we’ll go into the game with plenty of confidence.“
 Inka Grings, Switzerland coach
“You could see [against New Zealand] that we didn’t feel comfortable on the ball and didn’t pick each other out as well as we usually do. We have players who are good with the ball at their feet who then became hesitant, which meant we never found our rhythm and every 50:50 situation went New Zealand’s way.“ Hege Riise, Norway coach
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