After a lengthy group stage which got rid of just eight teams there is a feeling that the real Euro2016 tournament begins on Saturday when the knockout stage starts. All 16 nations that remain in the competition head into the knockout stages knowing they are four wins from glory.
Switzerland meet Poland in the opening game of the knockouts in Saint-Etienne. Both sides finished runners-up to fancied sides in the group stages but this is their chance to shine on the big stage. This is a first ever knockout match for both teams in European Championship history.
Credit must go to Switzerland for qualifying for this match but you would have to say they haven’t offered a lot to the tournament so far. It is really key going into the knockouts that we don’t write teams off on what they’ve shown to date because teams often peak as they go along but the only win Switzerland had was against 10 man Albania who on another day could easily have taken something from that match.
Switzerland look to be lacking a spirit and a cohesion on the pitch. There have been rumours that Xherdan Shaqiri is unsettled and it might not be a coincidence that he is really yet to make an impact on the tournament. His side need him now the stakes have got higher.
Key Man
Xherdan Shaqiri has to be the key man for Switzerland here despite the rumoured discontent. He is the one man in the side who can produce a bit of magic that can lead to a goal and who can cut defences open either by running at them or a killer pass. If Switzerland do go through here you would think Shaqiri has finally had an impact.
Poland might have qualified in the same position in the group as Switzerland but their performances so far in the tournament have been markedly better and having won two of their three matches and drawing with Germany in the other they clearly go into the match in better form if that counts for anything.
Indeed despite being in a group with Germany, Poland, along with the Germans, are the only side yet to concede a goal so far. If they can maintain that record for another couple of rounds they are going to find themselves deep in this tournament without really doing an awful lot.
Key Man
He has had no impact on the tournament to date but now the business end of the competition is kicking in we should expect class acts like Robert Lewandowski to join the party. He has barely had a sniff in the group stage but in what could be a tight match any impact he can have will be significant.
Team News
Switzerland are expected to go into this match with the same side which drew with France in their final group match. That means that Haris Seferovic will remain on the bench and Breel Embolo will get the nod to start the game.
Poland will have to do without their midfielder Bartosz Kapustka who picked up a second yellow against Ukraine and is suspended. Wojciech Szczesny continues to miss out with a thigh injury so once again Lukasz Fabianski will continue between the sticks.
Head to Head
Poland have only ever lost once to Switzerland in 10 meetings. They have four wins and five draws in the other nine matches and generally their wins have been pretty emphatic so they will probably take plenty of confidence into this match with them. Switzerland’s only win came in 1976. All four of Poland’s wins have been by two goals or more.
Betting
This one has the look of a tight match about it and I don’t think anyone would be too surprised if more than 90 minutes are needed to sort this one out. I would imagine there would be little surprise if it ends 0-0 either after the 90 minutes. I certainly don’t think the goals will flow massively but I’m prepared to watch in the hope of goals than chance a dangerous under line at 1.5 goals.
If there are any goals in this one then I fancy they might come from Poland. They have looked much brighter in the forward areas in the competition so far and attacking just looks a little more natural to them than it does to Switzerland.
In Lewandowski and Milik there is the argument that Poland have the better of the attacking units and that can translate into a Poland win if anyone is good enough to win this one inside 90 minutes. I’ll side with Poland on the Asian lines.
Tips
PUSH – Back Poland (0AH) to beat Switzerland for a 4/10 stake at 1.77 with 188bet
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