After topping the group of death, France (FRA) squares off against Switzerland (SUI) in the Euro 2020 round of 16. An own goal helped the 2018 World Cup winners register three points in their tournament opener, and they grabbed two points from their next two matches. Switzerland did it the hard way to reach the last 16. Xherdan Shaqiri and co had picked up just a point in their first two matches. But a 3-1 win over Turkey sealed their passage to knockout stages, courtesy finishing third in the best third-placed team rankings.
FC Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet could earn a starting berth as both left-backs – Lucas Hernandez and Lucas Digne – are a doubt for the round of 16 fixture. France is likely to switch to three at the back. Meanwhile, Karim Benzema ended his six-year wait for a goal in national team colors after netting twice against Portugal. The Real Madrid forward has scored a goal and two assists in his only appearance against Switzerland. France boss Didier Deschamps could be hoping Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe, too, can find their goalscoring form.
Swiss fans will be pinning their hopes on Shaqiri, who struck a brace against Turkey. The Liverpool winger and Steven Zuber ran riot in the final group stage fixture in Baku. Switzerland head coach Vladimir Petkovic’s biggest concern will be the backline. The three-men defence conceded five goals so far. If not for Yann Sommer’s brilliant saves, Turkey could have denied Switzerland a spot in the last 16.
Head-to-Head
Played: 38
FRA won: 16
SUI won: 12
Drawn: 10
Top Five Fantasy Points scorers (Euro 2020 Group Stage)
FRA: K Benzema (27 pts), P Pogba (22 pts), R Varane (19 pts), A Griezmann (18.5 pts), P Kimpembe (17.5 pts)
SUI: X Shaqiri (36 pts), S Zuber (20.5 pts), G Xhaka (17 pts), B Embolo (17 pts), H Seferovic (15 pts)
Euro 2020 Stats
Top Goalscorer: FRA – K Benzema (2 goals); SUI – X Shaqiri (2 goals)
Most Assists: FRA – P Pogba, L Hernandez (1 assist); SUI – S Zuber (3 assists)
Most Passes Completed: FRA – R Varane (211 passes); SUI – G Xhaka (201 passes)
Most Successful Tackles: FRA – A Griezmann (4 tackles); SUI – M Akanji, G Xhaka, K Mbabu (4 tackles)
Shots Saved: FRA – H Lloris (6 saves); SUI – Y Sommer (6 saves)
Injuries/Suspensions
FRA: L Hernandez (injured), L Digne (injured)
SUI: none
Playing 11
FRA (possible): H Lloris; R Varane, C Lenglet, P Kimpembe; B Pavard, P Pogba, N Kante, A Griezmann, A Rabiot; K Mbappe, K Benzema
SUI (possible): Y Sommer; N Elvedi, M Akanji, R Rodriguez; S Widmer, R Freuler, G Xhaka, S Zuber; X Shaqiri; B Embolo, H Seferovic
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Parameswaran Sankaranarayanan
Parameswaran Sankaranarayan is a sports enthusiast who has worked in print, website, and other digital platforms. He was part of the editorial team of first-ever Indian football-based website - IndianFootball.com (now defunct) - and passionately follows the latest happenings in world football. During his time as a journalist, he had the opportunity to interact with some of the iconic personalities in Indian sports and witness some memorable moments in Indian football.
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