In the second match of Matchday 5 at the Euro 2016, Switzerland take on Romania at the Parc des Princes in Paris. This can turn out to be a memorable night of football for the Swiss team, as a victory over Romania will take them through to the knockout stages of the European Championships for the first time in their history.
Swiss coach Vladimir Petkovic has urged his side to “make history”. On the other hand, Romania will be confident after a solid performance against France on the opening night of Euro 2016, even though they lost 2-1, thanks to a sensational 89th-minute goal by Dimitri Payet.
Switzerland
A win would take the Swiss to the last 16 and history will be made. In their way is a strong Romanian side, who has conceded only 2 times in 10 games at the European Qualifiers.
Switzerland eased past Albania in their opening game of the tournament. Xhaka will be crucial in midfield, and Shaqiri can be dangerous on the flanks. Lichtsteiner and Djourou will be vital for their defensive line. The Swiss are one step away from making history, and that should be a huge motivation for the players today.
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Switzerland generally prefer a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Xhaka in the heart of the midfield. They could also with the 4-3-3 formation, but for a crunch game like this, Vladimir Petkovic is expected to stick with the 4-2-3-1 formation.
Romania
Romania lost their first match of the tournament, but they can take inspiration from their performance. They kept France at bay for most parts of the game, and they would be looking to do the same against a strong Swiss team. Rat can be replaced because of his slow pace, and he might not be able to cope up with the pace of Shaqiri.
Steliano Filip might get his first match of the tournament. Romania will be in the hunt for a win, as a defeat against the Swiss might end their dreams of qualifying for the latter stages of the tournament. A win for Romania in this match would heat up things in Group A.
Romania are expected to go into this crucial match with a 4-3-3 formation. They would look to sit deep and fend off Swiss attacks, and when the chance arrives, they could set up a fast counter-attack.
Head to Head
Switzerland and Romania have met each other 12 times so far, with both the sides winning 5 a piece, and 2 draws. They have only met once in a major tournament at the 1994 World Cup, where the Swiss beat Romania 4-1.
Match Prediction
This match promises to be a fascinating one. Switzerland would be determined to make history by beating Romania, but Romania’s defense is going to be hard to crack. Xhaka and Shaqiri will try to create all sorts of problems for the Romanian defenders. Predicted scoreline for this match is a 1-1 draw.
