Draw secures spot in Euro 2016 knockout stage for Switzerland
France and Switzerland have progressed to the last 16 of Euro 2016 from Group A in first and second place respectively after a goalless draw in Lille.
Paul Pogba and Dimitri Payet came close to scoring a goal, but their wonderful shots hit the crossbar.
Albania beat Romania 1-0 on Sunday in Lyon and was flying back to their team base but had to land in Brest.
A game that featured a substandard pitch, ripped Switzerland shirts and a burst ball concluded in a mutually convenient result that allowed the Swiss to join Didier Deschamps’s France in the last 16.
“He had two quality strikes”. Switzerland finished second with five points. But he has great, great potential and I have confidence in him, of course.
To be fair to him, though, he does seem to have figured out one aspect that has already improved the team - and also improved Paul Pogba’s input.
Ironically, this was the same opposition against who Sissoko so impressed during the group stages of the World Cup two years previously - a match in which the Magpies midfielder scored his only global goal to date from 40 caps. We got through, scored goals and created chances, and resolved a number of things defensively in a short space of time.
Despite his satisfaction with the outcome of the match, Deschamps could not disguise his disappointment with a dry, patchy playing surface that made fluid football hard.
“I didn’t see the second game, but I heard he got another goal and played a part in France’s other goal”.
After booking their place in the last 16 of Euro 2016, Switzerland coach Vladimir Petkovic insists his side can not afford to rest on their laurels. He need Paul at his highest level. “We’re through, we can rest up and it’s for other sides to push to play against us”, Switzerland manager Vladimir Petkovic said.
“We played well and held firm”. They’re pretty solid too.
Henry concurred, adding: “We saw some games like that at Newcastle - but not enough”.
The hosts have the stars to rival Spain and Germany, but haven’t yet offered a complete display to match the defending champions’ 3-0 win over Turkey, or even Italy’s victory over Belgium.
The game, a tiresome, goalless draw, is likely to be remembered for other reasons apart from football, however, due to a substandard pitch, match ball and, most of all, substandard Puma shirts.
“We were there to secure first place and we did it, so it is mission accomplished”, France coach Deschamps told TV station M6. “It means there was a lot of fight on the pitch”.