France 3-3 (4-5 on pens.) Switzerland
Switzerland capped off a manic Monday here in Euro 2020 as they’ve confirmed their quarterfinals berth after a thriller at Bucharest.
After being down 3-1 in the last 15 minutes, the Swiss sparked a late rally to bring this game into extra time and the excitement reached fever pitch from there.
The match went into the penalty shootout after a missed opportunity by France during extra time and Switzerland were able to complete their stunning comeback.
Switzerland tallied five penalty kicks and that was enough to eliminate Les Bleus as Kylian Mbappe failed to score during his turn when Yann Sommer did an excellent save.
This is one of the most shocking Euro 2020 results so far, especially since France were one of the countries that is tipped to win the tournament as per the SBOTOP Euro 2020 odds.
Didier Deschamps’ side were looking to avenge their defeat in the 2016 Euros, but instead they’ll have to watch the remainder of the competition at home.
Highlights of the game
Fresh from their 2-2 draw against Portugal, France were aiming for a fast start in this contest.
France had their early chances as Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema posed huge threats with their forays into the box but Switzerland were sharp enough to thwart any good looks from them.
After a lively back-and-forth between the two nations, Switzerland finally drew first blood thanks to their high-tempo approach.
Haris Seferovic put the Swiss on top when he nodded home a Steven Zuber cross during the 15th minute, and that gave the crowd a huge jolt of energy.
That goal must’ve given them confidence as they were the better team in the first half. Credit to Vladimir Petkovic’s men for executing their gameplan well in slowing down France’s vaunted offence.
Kylian Mbappe was a marked man for the whole night since at least two defenders would shadow him and he can’t get a decent look for an attempt.
In the second half, Steven Zuber draw a penalty during the 52nd minute when Benjamin Pavard tackled him just inside the box. However, Ricardo Rodriguez blew his spot-kick and suddenly the momentum has shifted to France’s favour.
Within two minutes of possibly facing a two-goal deficit, Karim Benzema — who is making the most of his return to the national team — converted a chip shot from close range after a beautiful pass by Kylian Mbappe in the 57th minute.
France took the lead two minutes later when Benzema found the back of the net again after a looping ball from Antoine Griezmann.
16 minutes later, Paul Pogba put Les Bleus up 3-1 when he bent the ball from 25 yards out into the top corner to where Yann Sommer couldn’t reach it.
With their backs against the wall, Switzerland were determined not to roll over.
Haris Seferovic headed in a Kevin Mbabu’s cross during the 81st minute and Mario Gavranovic beat Hugo Lloris from the edge of the box to finish nine minutes later after a Granit Xhaka pass.
In extra time, France missed their chance as Olivier Giroud and Kylian Mbappe couldn’t convert and a penalty shootout was needed to determine the winners.
Both sides went flawless during the penalty shootout, up until Yann Sommer read Kylian Mbappe’s kick beautifully and the fans went wild as the 2018 World Cup champions crashed out.
Key statistics
Yesterday marked the first time that France failed to reach the quarterfinal stage of a major tournament for the first time since the 2010 World Cup.
On the other hand, Switzerland have reached the quarterfinals of a major tournament for the first time since the 1954 World Cup, and this was their first-ever penalty shootout win in this stage too.
A key reason to Switzerland’s success is because of their attack since they’ve scored at least three goals in consecutive big tournament matches for the first time since the 1954 World Cup.
Steven Zuber dished out his fourth assist last night, which is the highest in a single Euros campaign since 1980.
Haris Seferovic has now scored in consecutive major tournament games after scoring just once in his previous 13 appearances both in the European Championships and World Cups for the Swiss.
What’s next?
Switzerland are scheduled to play Spain in the Euro 2020 quarterfinals this Friday. Spain are coming off of a thriller Round of 16 victory against Croatia.
The winner of the said tie will get to face either Belgium or Italy in the semifinals.
As for France, they’ll have a few months of rest before taking on Bosnia and Herzegovina in a World Cup qualifers group stage fixture on September 2.
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