Dig at HSV star Muheim? Xhaka criticises Swiss sub | OneFootball

For Miro Muheim, the World Cup opener could hardly have gone more bitterly. The HSV pro was only brought on shortly before the end of Switzerland’s 1-1 draw with Qatar and unwillingly found himself center stage just minutes later.

In stoppage time, the Hamburg player lost an aerial duel to Boualem Khoukhi at the far post and then unfortunately deflected the ball into his own net. The sensation was complete: against the heavily favored Swiss, Qatar picked up the first point in its World Cup history.

Before that, Switzerland had controlled the match for long stretches and, thanks to Breel Embolo’s early goal, already seemed on course for their first win of the tournament. But because of the last-minute equalizer, all they had to show for it in the end was a disappointing draw.

Particularly painful: the words of captain Granit Xhaka immediately after the final whistle could certainly be understood as criticism of the substitutes. “When the coach brings players on and you don’t have discipline in certain positions, then it gets difficult,” the midfield leader said on Swiss television.

Photo: IMAGO

HSV star Muheim hopes to make amends

Xhaka did not mention any names. However, besides Muheim, Johan Manzambi and Ardon Jashari had also only come on late and were involved in the build-up to the goal conceded. Nevertheless, the comments are likely to have struck a nerve especially with the HSV pro. After all, he was directly involved in the decisive moment.

Muheim’s long-awaited World Cup debut thus turned into a nightmare. Against Qatar, he was supposed to help see out the narrow lead in the closing minutes. But that did not happen. What consequences this will have for the rest of the tournament remains unclear. Veteran Ricardo Rodriguez is still considered the first choice at left-back. That makes the upcoming group matches against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Canada all the more important for Muheim. There, he will have the chance to quickly put the botched World Cup opener behind him.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.