Match preview
Switzerland will face Romania in the Group A fixture at Parc des Princes, Paris. This can turn out to be a memorable night for the Swiss team, as 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”. However, Romania will be no pushover as they put up a strong performance against favourites and hosts, France. The match was level for most of the 90 minutes, before Dimitri Payet’s sensational goal in the 89th minute robbed Romania of a deserving point. Switzerland won 1-0 in their opening Group A match against Albania.
The Swiss kicked off Euro 2016 against neighbors, Albania, and opened the scoring inside 5 minutes, through Fabian Schar. They lost some momentum in the second half but looked comfortable in defending their lead. Romania will be a tougher test for the Swiss.
Switzerland is filled with talented players and the most impressive aspect of their game is their midfield. New Arsenal signing, Granit Xhaka is an integral part of Switzerland’s midfield, and he played a huge role is their victory over Albania as he completed more than 100 passes against the Albanians.
Former Bayern Munich man, Xherdan Shaqiri is a key player on the flanks and a huge goal threat against any opposition. Midfielders Fernandes and Frei can prove to crucial when they come on as subs. Ricardo Rodriguez and Stephan Lichtsteiner will play a vital role as the fullbacks while Djourou is a solid defender at the heart of the Switzerland defence.
Romania lost their first match of Euro 2016 against the French 2-1, but they could take heart from an impressive display against the favorites. Romania has a rock solid defence to tackle Switzerland’s attacking threat. They had the best defensive record in the Euro Qualifiers, conceding in only 2 out of 10 matches. Sapunaru, Chiriches and Grigore would be crucial in Romania’s defence.
Coach Anghel Iordanescu has to decide whether to play the aging Rat against the fast Swiss forwards. Steliano Filip could play in Rat’s place to deal with the Swiss attackers. Bogdan Stancu will pose a threat to the Swiss goal.
The match promises to be a nail-biter as Romania and Switzerland are evenly matched teams, and there’s a lot on the line for both the sides. A win would create history for the Swiss while a Romania win would leave Group A wide open.
Predicted Line-ups
Romania (4-2-3-1): Tatarusanu, Sapunaru, Chiriches, Grigore, Filip, Pintilii, Hoban, Popa, Stanciu, Stancu, Andone.
Switzerland (4-2-3-1): Sommer, Lichtsteiner, Schar, Djourou, Rodriguez, Behrami, Xhaka, Shaqiri, Dzemaili, Mehmedi, Seferovic
Kickoff and Live Telecast
Date and Time: June 15, 2016 – 09:30 PM (IST)
Live Telecast: Live telecast on Sony Six, Sony Six HD, Sony ESPN, Sony ESPN HD.
Venue: Parc des Princes, Paris.
Live Stream info: Live stream will be on http://euro2016.sonyliv.com/
