Switzerland meet Poland at the Geoffroy-Guichard to kick-off the knockout stages of the 2016 European Championships.
La Nati finished Group A in second place after a couple of mixed results and performances. Fabian Schar scored the winning goal just five minutes into their opening match against Albania to give them a crucial three points, but two draws with Romania and France see them head into the vital stages of the tournament undefeated, but without much form to go by.
They will meet a Poland side who are yet to lose or even concede at the tournament. While star striker Robert Lewandowski has yet to replicate his Euro qualifying form or his Bundesliga heroics, two 1-0 wins against Northern Ireland and Ukraine and a 0-0 draw against world champions Germany have put them in good stead to make an impact in the round of 16.
Key Battle – Yann Sommer vs Lukasz Fabianski
Both sides have been almost unbeatable in defence this tournament. While Poland have used two goalkeepers, Wojciech Szczesny and Lukasz Fabianski, they have both kept clean sheets and the only time Yann Sommer was beaten in the Swiss goal was from the penalty spot.
So the battle between Sommer and Fabianski could obviously decide the winner of the match and the first entrant in the quarter-finals.
Germany and France both have a lot of firepower and these goalkeepers have kept both sides scoreless, so it is not going to be easy for the Switzerland and Poland attackers to get past the opposition glovesmen and with penalty-shoot-out a potential outcome – it could easily come down to each goalkeeper.
Team News
Vladimir Petkovic is unlikely to change his lineup for the round of 16 from the side that drew with France in the last group match, although there is a seed of doubt over the fitness of Admir Mehmedi.
Szczesny remains on the sidelines with injury for Poland and Bartosz Kapustka will miss the match after receiving two yellow cards in the group stage, however, they will likely stay the same for the rest of the team.
Head-to-head
These two nations have only clashed 10 times since their first meeting in 1938. Poland have won four of those matches, with the sides also drawing five times. The one Switzerland win came in 1976, coming out 2-1 victors.
Previous Meeting
Their most recent meeting came 76 years after their first and ended in an entertaining 2-2 draw.
Prediction
This match will no doubt be a tight encounter and there will surely only be one or two goals scored – if any. We might be kicking off the knockout stages with an extra-time and potential penalty shoot-out.
Switzerland 0 Poland 0 (Poland on penalties)
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