Would you like to refresh your knowledge of the 16 best teams for the second round of the European Football Championship? You can find the most important information about the match between France and Switzerland on Monday (9 p.m., TV: ZDF, stream: MagentaTV, live ticker: SPIEGEL.de) here.
What are the chances of the French?
The world champion and undefeated winner of the »death group« F can only be considered a top favorite for the title. France has not played enthusiastic football so far, especially the draw against Hungary was lackluster – low opponents make it difficult for the still goalless superstar Kylian Mbappé to play at his outstanding pace. If Didier Deschamps’ team shows an average performance against Switzerland, then they should still survive the round of 16 with ease.
Which player will be important?
Hardly any player can make the soccer game look as easy as Paul Pogba. The 28-year-old is sometimes considered a sloppy genius, at the European Championship Pogba brings his genius to the field from the defensive midfield. Against Germany he prepared the decisive attack by shifting the game, against Portugal he played a series of ingenious passes into the depths – one served as an assist, another led to a penalty for France. The Swiss mustn’t let Pogba rest for a moment, otherwise he will also dismantle the defense of the national team with passports of surgical precision.
What else is there to know?
The last French defeat in a competitive game was more than two years ago – in 2019 there was a 2-0 win against Turkey in the European Championship qualification at the beginning of June. So when things get serious, the Équipe Tricolore has been unbeatable for quite a while.
What are the chances of the Swiss?
In the end, Xherdan Shaqiri had to judge it again: With two goals against Turkey, the man who always scores (and likes to score spectacularly) for Switzerland in major tournaments led his team to the round of 16. But advancing as one of four group thirds also means that a top opponent is waiting with the French. Switzerland needs “the perfect game” to get France out of the tournament, team manager Pierluigi Tami told the “Neue Zürcher Zeitung” before the round of 16. It will not go below that for the Confederates.
Which player will be important?
Haris Seferović was valued as a hardworking worker during his time at Eintracht Frankfurt, but was also decried as a death of chance. The Swiss striker is now playing for Benfica Lisbon, was the top scorer in Portugal in 2019 and also snapped 22 times in the past season. At the European Championship, Seferović, who plays alongside Gladbach’s Breel Embolo in a double lead, has fired nine shots so far and prepared six more opportunities for his teammates. No player in the tournament was involved in more deals. In the last group game against Turkey, Seferović scored his first European Championship goal. The 29-year-old should also keep the French defense busy.
What else is there to know:
Yann Sommer will be the new record goalkeeper in Switzerland when he’s on the field on Monday evening: It would be the 65th appearance of the Gladbacher, currently Sommer is on par with Erich Burgener, who stood between 1973 and 1986 for Switzerland between the posts . Summer will also have to call up his best performance if the Confederates want to finally advance to the quarter-finals after three round of 16 bankruptcies at major tournaments in a row.
