Switzerland vs Poland Euro 2016 match report: Xherdan Shaqiri goal can't save Swiss after Granit Xhaka's shocker

Granit Xhaka, Arsenal’s £30m summer signing, became the first victim of the 12-yard trial at Euro 2016 when his missed penalty cost Switzerland the chance of their first tournament quarter-final since 1954.

Xhaka was the only player to miss in the shootout that followed a lively draw lit up by a stunning goal from Xherdan Shaqiri. The Stoke City midfielder scored a 19-yard overhead kick eight minutes from time to cancel out Jakub Blaszscykowski’s 39th-minute goal. Poland thus reach their first tournament quarter-final since 1982, when Zbigniew Boniek inspired them to the semi-finals of the World Cup.

There was an unsavoury end as Poland celebrated in front of the Swiss fans, provoking them and their vanquished opponents, but Mark Clattenburg and his assistant, who had a fine game collectively, swiftly calmed things down.

Neither of these teams had previously escaped the group stage of this competition, not even as (co)hosts in the last two tournaments and their nerves showed in the early stages. Those Arsenal fans surprised to see Johan Djourou still at the heart of the Swiss defence will have had their prejudices confirmed inside 30 seconds as the defender played a reckless backpass that Robert Lewandowski intercepted. Jurgen Sommer blocked the striker’s close-range shot but the ball ran to Arkadiusz Milik who scooped it over an empty goal from 20 yards.

Switzerland’s main chance of breaking the deadlock looked like coming from the outstanding Shaqiri. He began brightly and, after eight minutes, combined with Valon Behrami to set up Blerim Dzemaili only for the striker to hit the side netting.

It was an open match with 50 goal attempts, but mostly of moderate quality. In swift succession a series of players from both sides wasted free headers, indicative of haphazard marking and poor finishing. Finally, six minutes from the break, Blaszczykowski proved the exception.

Counter-attacking with the Swiss centre-halves stranded upfield after a corner, Kamil Grosicki broke down the left and got lucky breaks off the legs of Behrami and Xhaka. Then he spotted Blaszczykowski completely unmarked and picked him out with a deft cross. Blaszczykowski calmly rolled his shot between Sommer’s legs.

open image in gallery

With Poland yet to concede in the competition Switzerland were up against it. Fortunately for them the part of Lewandowski was being played by an imposter. He did draw a save from Sommer with a snap shot but was otherwise a shadow of the predator who has terrorised the Bundesliga.

Shaqiri tested Lukasz Fabianski and Blaszczykowski drew a fine save from Sommer but the latter was a rare break as Poland pulled back to defend what they had. It was a mistake, inviting pressure. Fabianski made an agile save from Ricardo Rodriguez’s free-kick but then needed Gilik to block Djourou’s goalbound shot and the crossbar to deny Haris Seferovic. Then came Shaqiri’s moment of brilliance, rising and twisting to volley home a loose ball off the post from the edge of the box.

The goal of the tournament contest was settled there and then, but not this match which went into extra time. The pace, inevitably given the afternoon heat, slowed with an uneventful first period. In the second Switzerland looked the more likely scorers but Fabianski made a superb save from Eren Derdiyok’s header after Shaqiri picked him out, then he denied the same player as he tried to convert Seferovic’s deflected cross.

So it went to penalties. It was Poland’s first ever shoot-out. Switzerland had played and lost once previously, at the 2006 World Cup when they failed even to score from the spot. This time they buried four out of five, but Poland, including the hitherto misfiring Lewandowski were perfect.

Switzerland (4-2-3-1): Sommer; Lichtsteiner, Schar, Djourou, Rodriguez; Behrami, Xhaka; Shaqiri, Dzemaili, Mehmedi; Seferovic.

Substitutes: Embolo (for Dzemaili, 58), Derdiyok (for Mehmedi, 69), Fernandes (Behrami, 76).

Poland (4-4-1-1): Fabianski; Piszczek, Pazdan, Glik, Jedrzejczyk; Blaszczykowski, Krychowiak, Maczynski, Grosicki; Milik; Lewandowski.

Substitutes: Jodlowiec (for Maczynski, 101), Peszko (for Grosicki, 104)

Referee: M Clattenburg (England)

Man of the match: Shaqiri

Match rating: 7