France vs Switzerland
European Championship this season
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Preview: France vs Switzerland
In an exciting UEFA Euro 2020 Round of 16 clash, group-toppers France, fresh from an intense draw against Portugal, will take on Switzerland, who are buoyed by their commanding victory over Turkey, at the National Arena in Bucharest.
France
France were held to a 2-2 draw by Portugal on Match Day 3 in a thrilling encounter that featured three penalties. Despite the result, France topped Group F with 5 points, following 1 win, 2 draws, and no losses.
Just short of the half-hour mark, Hugo Lloris conceded a penalty after an ill-timed elbow caught Portugal's Danilo Pereira. Cristiano Ronaldo converted the penalty, edging closer to Ali Daei's world record of 109 international goals.
France equalized with a penalty of their own, taken by Karim Benzema right at the stroke of half-time. Just after the break, Benzema found the net again, his goal initially ruled out but eventually given by VAR.
Portugal fought back with Ronaldo converting from the spot once more after a handball in the box. This made him joint-top international scorer after sending Lloris the wrong way again.
Paul Pogba nearly grabbed the winner, but Portuguese goalkeeper Rui Patricio pulled off a spectacular double save. The draw extends France's unbeaten run to six games across all competitions, with a form guide reading WWWWDD.
Karim Benzema, after finding the net for France for the first time in 2,805 days, is expected to lead the attack on Monday. The dynamic trio of Mbappe, Griezmann, and Tolisso will likely support him from behind in Didier Deschamps' 4-2-3-1 formation.
Switzerland
Switzerland finished in 3rd place with 4 points from Group A after recording 1 win, 1 draw, and 1 loss. They secured their first victory of the tournament on Match Day 3 by defeating Turkey 3-1.
The Red Crosses took command of the game early, with Haris Seferovic scoring just six minutes after kick-off. Twenty minutes later, Switzerland doubled their lead thanks to a splendid curling right-footed shot by Xherdan Shaqiri.
However, Turkey responded in the second half with a fine goal from Kahveci, reducing the Swiss lead to one. Switzerland, though, had the last word with another fine finish by Xherdan Shaqiri, completing his brace and restoring the two-goal advantage.
The 3-1 victory marked Switzerland's fourth win in six games across all international competitions. A performance reminiscent of this could allow Switzerland to challenge formidable opponents, like France.
The team is expected to return with a 3-4-1-2 formation, likely featuring Breel Embolo and Seferovic leading the attack. Wearing the no. 23 shirt, Xherdan Shaqiri will have the freedom to move as he pleases in the upcoming match.
Team form
Showing the latest five games—giving you a quick look at recent performance trends. Teams in good form tend to do well in the next match.
Team Comparison
Side-by-side assessment of team statistics, including goals, attacks, and more. This allows you to directly compare key performance metrics. Analyzing these stats can reveal patterns and strengths that might influence the outcome.