Monday, June 28, 2021
Switzerland catches up 1: 3 behind
Mbappé’s penalty miss is France’s out
Shortly after half-time, Switzerland awarded a penalty for a two-goal lead. Then France turns the European Championship round of 16, looks like the sure winner. An absurd final phase brings the extension, which remains goalless. The penalty shoot-out brings the decision.
Unlucky Kylian Mbappé disappeared as the only Frenchman in the dressing room with his head bowed, a few meters away Yann Sommer celebrated the Swiss EM coup against the world champion: After a spectacular up and downhill run, France’s top favorite surprisingly failed in the round of 16 against the blatant outsider Switzerland. The Swiss won 5-4 on penalties and made it to the quarter-finals of a European Championship for the first time. After 120 dramatic minutes it was 3: 3 (3: 3, 1: 0).
“At the moment I feel everything that is in there. I am very proud of the team and how we did it. It’s fantastic,” said Sommer on SRF: “The way we did it was excellent, we played against an incredible team played, where everything will break down in two minutes. How we came back and believed in it is unbelievable. Unbelievable. “
Ironically, superstar Mbappé failed in the tenth and ultimately decisive shot at Gladbach’s goalkeeper Sommer, who was previously not known as a penalty killer. Ex-Frankfurt’s Haris Seferovic (15./81.) And Mario Gavranovic (90.) scored in regular time for the Swiss, who were 1: 3 behind shortly before the end of regular time. The former Wolfsburg Ricardo Rodriguez also failed with a penalty (55th). Karim Benzema with a lightning double (57th / 59th) and Paul Pogba (75th) had apparently put France in the lead.
The last time Switzerland reached the quarter-finals of a major tournament was 67 years ago – at the 1954 World Cup in their own country. For France, a series of 19 competitive games ended without defeat.
“The chances are 50:50 – an optimistic estimate,” Sommer had said before the game. Gladbach’s goalkeeper was right with his prognosis: Switzerland met the big favorite at eye level, acted courageously as announced, but risked dangerous counterattacks again and again. Especially Mbappé, who was rarely convincing in the preliminary round, was a source of unrest on the left.
The four minutes after the parade of Lloris
After a quarter of an hour the surprise: Seferovic used a cross from Frankfurt’s Steven Zuber with a soulful head to make it 1-0. In the fourth game, the Equipe Tricolore fell behind for the third time, the many French among the 23,894 spectators suddenly fell silent. Coach Didier Deschamps’ team reacted with furious attacks and put on a power play. Sommer, who rose to the record goalkeeper of the Swiss with his 65th international match, now moved more and more into the spotlight. As in the preliminary round, the French were far from a hoped-for spectacle.
The appearance of Mbappé was symptomatic. The 22-year-old was the most conspicuous player and kept flashing his skills, but bit his teeth at Gladbach’s Nico Elvedi. From Benzema and Antoine Griezmann, however, apart from bad passes, nothing was to be seen. At the break, the Swiss lead was okay, especially since France did not record a single shot on goal.
At the second half, Deschamps switched from the unfamiliar three-man back to a back four. It went better in the usual system, and the inclusion of Bayern’s winger Kingsley Coman paid off.
Nevertheless, France was lucky: After a foul by Benjamin Pavard on Zuber, Rodriguez took the penalty, Hugo Lloris made a strong save. Four minutes and three seconds later, the game was completely overturned. Only Benzema, who had not been part of the team for a long time because of an alleged involvement in a blackmail scandal, equalized after a sensational acceptance of the ball. Shortly afterwards, the Real Madrid striker even made it 2-1, Pogba even increased it. But two goals in the last ten minutes brought Switzerland into extra time.
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