Italy bring in Domenico Berardi, Manuel Locatelli, Giorgio Chiellini and Giovanni Di Lorenzo, but Federico Chiesa is benched against a reshuffled Switzerland.
This 2022 World Cup qualifier kicks off at St. Jakob-Park on Sunday at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT).
You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens and give your views on the LIVEBLOG.
This is a showdown for the only automatic qualifying place in the tournament, as Italy have 10 points from four games, while the Swiss won both their matches.
The Azzurri returned to action after winning UEFA EURO 2020 with a 1-1 draw against Bulgaria on Thursday, but Roberto Mancini makes four changes.
He brings in Chiellini and Di Lorenzo for Francesco Acerbi and Alessandro Florenzi, while Locatelli replaces Marco Verratti, who sustained a knock to the knee in that game.
Locatelli scored twice when Italy beat Switzerland in the EURO 2020 group stage in June, but this is his first start of the season.
Surprisingly, Chiesa is benched in favour of Berardi, despite the Juventus man scoring against Bulgaria.
Switzerland have a new coach, having brought in Murat Yakin for Vladimir Petkovic since the Euros came to a close.
They are missing several key players, as captain Granit Xhaka tested positive for COVID-19.
Also absent are Xherdan Shaqiri, Mario Gavranovic and Breel Embolo, along with suspended Atalanta midfielder Remo Freuler.
Fabian Frei was drafted in on Thursday following Xhaka’s COVID test and the 32-year-old FC Basel man makes his first appearance for Switzerland since March 2018.
He hasn’t started for his country since a 5-2 World Cup qualifier against Hungary in October 2017.
Eray Cömert pulled out of the squad after sustaining head trauma with concussion during the match against Greece.
The system moves from a 4-2-3-1 to a 4-3-2-1, supporting centre-forward and ex-Fiorentina player Haris Seferovic.
Switzerland: Sommer; Widmer, Elvedi, Akanji, Rodriguez; Aebischer, Frei, Sow; Zuber, Steffen; Seferovic
Switzerland bench: Mvogo, Kobel, Garcia, Zakaria, Zeqiri, Lauper, Fassnacht, Ndoye, Vargas, Lotomba, Schär, Zesiger
Italy: Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Bonucci, Chiellini, Emerson; Barella, Jorginho, Locatelli; Berardi, Immobile, Insigne
Italy bench: Sirigu, Gollini, Calabria, Verratti, Pellegrini, Raspadori, Pessina, Chiesa, Toloi, Cristante, Zaniolo, Bastoni
Ref: Del Cerro Grande (ESP)
Why, i do not understand how mancini will bench chiesa and leave immobile on the pitch. This makes no sense at all. Great for Lazio , not so great for italia. Try somevody else in the striker position. Do you agree?
In my opinion, Berardi should slide into the central attacker position in place of Immobile, and Chiesa should be brought into the starting 11 for a front three of Insigne, Berardi, and Chiesa. I don’t know what else needs to be seen by the coach to recognize that Immobile isn’t cutting it as the central striker.
I believe Mancini is playing Berardi on the right today in place of Chiesa because his understanding with Locatelli is quite good from Loca’s Sassuolo days. This worked to great effect versus Switzerland for the first goal at the EURO, with Berardi putting the ball on a plate for Loca to smash in from close range. I don’t think Berardi would be starting ahead of Chiesa if Verratti was fit and in the starting 11.
I agree Canada32kid. The only thing I can think of is that Chiesa might be a little fatigued. He does a hell of a lot of running and it’s almost always at full pelt. But if he is good enough for the bench then he really should start, and if he is tired then he can be subbed. You should always start with your best players.
As for Immobile, he just can do wrong in Mancini’s eyes. It’s madness IMO, and could become very costly. Sure you can argue that our other strikers are either not very good, too green, not in form, or haven’t done enough to warrant selection, but some of those reasons apply to Immobile too, and he’s had more than enough chances. I would field a false 9, Zaniolo, until we find someone who can consistently hold the line and put the ball in the back of the net.
Watched the game, there was no chemistry from the front three, instead quick passing In or around the penalty box, they instead go it alone with feeble attempts at goal
Berardi pathetic attempt at goal on the break away, when he had open net..why were there no other forwards to make the run, take the initiative. This happened a few times in game one forward alone in pen, when they weren’t alone instead of passing the half ass try on their win. If Chiesa had not run like mad man from Italian side to pick up the loose ball from Ciro wasted effort in the Spanish game, Italy would have mostly likely lost..
Why were all the corners as if they were trying score from the corner instead getting someone to head the ball, such wasted opportunities.
Mancini chooses are not working, he is too loyal to ones that won the Euro. Jorginho at this point I think he’s purposely sabotaging his pens, this and the one at the Euro were the most pathetic slow penalties. Contract to the one he just scored for Chelsa two weeks ago.