Here are the five major talking points of the last Group Stage match between France and Switzerland.
Switzerland booked their place in the knockout stage of Euro 2016, after finishing with a goalless draw against tournament favourites France in their last Group Stage match on Sunday. It was a tough match for Switzerland as Paul Pogba, Dimitri Payet and Antoine Griezmann tried hard but Swiss goalkeeper Jann Sommer turned out to be the saviour by managing to keep a clean sheet. Pogba hit the goalpost thrice in the first half, followed by Griezmann. The second half was duller as both teams looked to conserve their energy knowing they’d qualified.
Here are some of the top talking points from the match:
1. Pogba dominates in the first half
There is no doubt that Pogba was a man on a mission in the first half. Even though his performance subsided in the second half, the Juventus midfielder, covered, to use a popular Manchester United parlance, every blade of grass. He could've scored three goals in the first half, if it wasn't for Sommer's brilliance and the crossbar.
After a below-par performance by the Juventus player in the opening match against Romania, Pogba looked hell-bent on shutting up his critics. His first half performance showed why a host of big clubs, including Real Madrid and former club Manchester United are queuing up to sign the all-action midfielder.
2. Sommer holds the door and lets no one in
There were moments in the match when Sommer transformed into Games of Thrones’ character Hodor as he kept the White Walkers (France was even wearing their white kit) at bay. In three matches so far, Sommer has only conceded one goal, and the fact that he did so without having the most illustrious defenders in front of him, makes his stats even more impressive. In the match against France, their toughest opponents in the group stage, he saved two clear-cut chances by Pogba and one shot from Griezmann.
3. Deflated ball, torn shirts and a dodgy pitch
A good worker doesn’t blame his tools but it was an awful match for ball manufacturers and shirt-makers. It was downright embarrassing to see a ball burst in a tournament like the Euros while the pitch also needed some patch-up work.
And somehow the Swiss shirts seemed to be made of the flimsiest fabric as four shirts were ripped and Granit Xhaka’s shirt was even torn in half. Kit manufacturers Puma later claimed that the torn shirts were from a defective batch.
Granit Xhaka (Getty Images)
4. Stat attack
While the Swiss had more possession of the ball (58.1%), it was France that shot more. On the other hand, Switzerland’s defending and passing was visibly better and more crisp. Deschamps’ side also had more corners, and attempted 14 shots in comparison to Switzerland’s 6, and neither team managed to bother the scorekeepers.
5. Both teams go home happily after qualifying for the last 16
Despite the goalless draw, both the teams qualified for the knockout stage, with France leading the group with 7 points. The final points tally read - France (7), Switzerland (5), Albania (3) and Romania (1).
Both teams will be reasonably happy with their performance, and this will be a proud moment for the Swiss who qualified for the knock-out stages of the Euros for the first time in the European Championships.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "France v/s Switzerland")
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}