Euro 2016: Wales beat Slovakia 2-1, Switzerland get past Albania 1-0
Today's matches include Switzerland v/s Albania, Wales v/s Slovakia and England v/s Russia.
In the first match of the day Switzerland won 1-0 over a 10-man Albania. Read the match report here. In the second match, Wales beat Slovakia 2-1. Match report awaited.
Wales V/S Slovakia
Team News
Wayne Hennessey, the only experienced international goalkeeper in the Wales squad, will miss the opening match of Group B against Slovakia on Saturday. He took part in the warm-up but left the field holding his back. Danny Ward, of Liverpool, will replace Hennessey, starting the biggest game of his career after making his debut only in March. Midfielder Joe Ledley, who broke a leg just five weeks ago, is fit to be among the substitutes but Dave Edwards will start alongside Joe Allen as the other holding player.
Wales XI : Ward; Gunter, Chester, A Williams, Davies, Taylor; Allen, Edwards, Ramsey; J Williams, Bale
Subs: King, Robson-Kanu, Fon Williams, G Williams, Richards, Ledley Cotterill, Vokes, Collins, Vaughan, Church, Hennessey
Slovakia XI: Kozacik; Pekarik, Skrtel, Durica, Svento; Kucka, Hrosovsky, Hamsik; Mak, Duris, Weiss
Subs: Mucha, Gyomber, Gregus, Duda, Sestak, Stoch, Nemec, Novota, Skriniar, Hubocan, Salata, Pecevosky
Referee: S Odvar Moen (Norway)
Latest Updates
And Aaron Ramsey comes off for Jazz Richards. There's 2 minutes left for the match.
What was Ramsey trying? He had all the time in the world to muddle it up.
Goal 2-1
Wales scores.
GOAL Wales 1-1 Slovakia (Duda 61’)
And Duda has scored. Mak made a run into the box, blindsided Ramsey and laid the ball on for Duda who flummoxed Ashley Williams and fired low.
Bale's goal is still the difference in the match.
Ramesy went in hard there on Skrtel. A litle old good-fashioned Premier League rivalry.
And the second half begins.
Slovakia is forcing Wales deep and look vulnerable as Welsh are stretched at the back. Weiss skipped past Ashley Williams but his shot is blocked.
35: Aaron Ramsey has certainly become easy to spot with his new hairstyle
Someone is thrilled. Gareth Bale goes crazy after scoring with a free kick.
It seems like this referee likes the old ways. No yellow for Taylor.
Gareth Bale ladies and gentleman. Even Le God is pleased.
GOAL
That was was brilliant free kick from Gareth Bale. What a free kick. That was brilliant. Ronaldo would be proud.
That was a great run by Hamsik. He is calling the shots in the early battle of giants-in-minnow nations' contest.
And they kick off.
The Wales fans are absolutely thrilled. They never thought they'd be here.
That was Albanian substitute Gashi who is straight through on goal but somehow Sommer managed to keep out. My colleague says that he should’ve lobbed it.
This has been an amazing game but the match ends Switzerland 1 Albania 0. No one will fault the Albanians for lack of trying.
Whoa. That was so close. Albania could've drawn level!
Despite being down to ten men, this Albanian team has held together and somehow not conceded a goal.
There are 20 minutes plus additional time left and unless something remarkable happens, you can expect Switzerland to win.
Meanwhile, Switzerland also make a change as Breel Embolo of FC Basel comes on for Admri Mehmedi.
The referee has deemed that it was a deliberate handball. Poor Cana.
HALF TIMEThe first half ends with Switzerland one goal up and one man up. Can't see anyway back for Albania in this one.
RED CARDIt goes from bad to worse for Albania as their captain Cana gets sent off with a second yellow.
Is that a half-and-half Xhaka shirt?
That was so close for Albania. Amazing goalkeeping from Sommer
And Switzerland score 1-0 from the corner.
That was a brilliant header from Schar or in the words of the Hindi commentator "Goal daag diya"
It's on. Brother v/s Brother.
This Albanian fan is rather excited to be here.
Earlier, Albania coach Gianni De Biasi hopes to emulate English Premier League champions Leicester City by making the "impossible" happen and disproving their underdog status when they meet Switzerland in Group A on Saturday. The Italian's team are tipped as the whipping boys in a section that also includes hosts France and Balkan rivals Romania, and Saturday's match has a derby feel with links between the sides stemming from the large intake of Kosovar Albanian refugees in Switzerland.
So this is the Switzerland version of Karan Arjun as the Xhaka brothers face off.