Switzerland secured a 3-0 victory over Scotland in the Nations League, with goals from Ricardo Rodríguez, Nico Elvedi, and Zeki Amdouni, after Jack Hendry was sent off in the 12th minute. The win gives Switzerland six points from six in Group B1, while Scotland remain without a win under new manager Sébastien Pocognoli.
Early red card shapes the contest
Jack Hendry's red card meant Scotland played almost 80 minutes of the match with 10 men. The defender was initially booked for a pull on Dan Ndoye, but after a lengthy video assistant referee check, the decision was upgraded to a free-kick and a sending off. Ricardo Rodríguez curled the subsequent free-kick beyond Angus Gunn from 19 yards.
Scotland's early hopes were further dented when Pocognoli withdrew Kieron Bowie, one of two strikers, to introduce Stephen Welsh and retain a three-man backline. A subdued Hampden Park crowd feared a long evening, and Switzerland, who had comfortably won in North Macedonia on Saturday, continued to dominate.
Switzerland's quality shows
Johan Manzambi, the 20-year-old Aston Villa midfielder, was particularly lively, firing just wide and delivering a delicious cross that found no takers. Switzerland's second goal came from a corner, with the ball funnelled to Ndoye on the right, whose low cross was flicked home by central defender Nico Elvedi.
Pocognoli made a triple change, including bringing on McBurnie for his 18th cap, but the alterations were like-for-like in positional nature. Yakin withdrew Manzambi, and Switzerland continued to punish Scotland, with Amdouni's strike flying into the roof of the net via the goalkeeper, prompting a mass exodus from the stands.
Scotland's struggles continue
Scotland have now scored only once in five games. Pocognoli, whose debut at Hampden Park was over as a contest long before full-time, acknowledged the red card's impact: "The red card of Jack is all of our red card. We stay together. We put this moment in our DNA today and hopefully it can be helpful for the future."
The upcoming trip to North Macedonia carries importance as Pocognoli seeks to turn things around, but this display has served as a strong, painful reminder of the scale of the task he inherited.
