The round-of-16 knockout stage at the Euro 2016 tournament in France kicks off with a match between Switzerland and Poland in Saint Etienne this Saturday, June 25th. The winner will carry on to the final eight while the loser will be packing their bags and heading home. If the game is even after 90 minutes it will go to 30 minutes of extra time. If it’s still tied, it will then be decided by a penalty shootout. Both Switzerland and Poland are seeking their first European Championship title.
Switzerland vs Poland – Pinnacle Soccer Betting Line:
- Pinnacle currently lists Poland as the favorite to win in 90 minutes at +168 with Switzerland +225 and a draw at +195
Switzerland vs Poland – Head to Head:
- Switzerland and Poland last met in November of 2014 and played to a 2-2 draw in Poland. The two sides have met 11 times in the past with Poland winning four, losing one and drawing the other six. Poland is unbeaten in the last five with three wins and two draws. Switzerland’s lone victory came in a friendly in May of 1976.
Switzerland – A Closer Look:
The Swiss side is currently ranked number 14 in the world by FIFA. The team competed in Group A in the group stage and managed to advance to the knockout round by finishing second behind France with an unbeaten record. They scored just two goals, but allowed only one against. Switzerland defeated 42nd-ranked Albania in their opening match thanks to a header by Schar in the fifth minute. Albania played the majority of the match with 10 men after their captain was sent off with a red card, but Switzerland was happy enough with the three points.
Switzerland played to a 1-1 draw against 22nd-ranked Romania in their next outing with Mehmedi tying the game after Romania took the lead in the first half. Switzerland would have qualified with those four points, but still had one game remaining with host nation France. With 17th-ranked France and the Swiss knowing they would both advance with a draw the fans weren’t surprised when they game ended in a none-eventful 0-0 stalemate. This is the first time Switzerland has advanced to the knockout stages of a European Championship.
Poland– A Closer Look:
Poland is currently ranked number 27 in the world by FIFA Poland was in Group C, which was one of the most competitive as it contained reigning World Champions Germany along with Ukraine and Northern Ireland. The team managed to finish as runners up to fourth-ranked Germany on goal difference as they both finished with seven points with two wins and a draw. Germany scored three goals and allowed none while Poland had two goals and conceded none. Poland downed 25th-ranked Northern Ireland 1-0 in their opening match.
The team then played to a 0-0 draw with Germany in their second match. With four points, Poland was already through to the second stage of the event. However, they were hoping to win the group against 19th-ranked Ukraine in their final outing. They won the contest 1-0, but fell just short of their goal. Poland did well defensively to post three clean sheets and their winning goals came from Milik against Northern Ireland and Błaszczykowski in the win over Ukraine. Poland was a co-host at Euro 2012 and didn’t win a group game. They also went winless at Euro 2008, their only two appearances in the European Championships.
Switzerland vs Poland – Takeaway
The winner of this match will take on the winner of the Croatia vs Portugal match which is being held the same day. The winners will meet on Thursday, June 30th in Marseille.
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by Ian S. Palmer