Wales 1-1 Switzerland: 5 talking points as VAR denies Switzerland | EURO 2020

#3 Haris Seferovic's wastefulness in front of goal costs Switzerland dearly

Wales vs Switzerland - UEFA Euro 2020: Group A

Haris Seferovic was part of Switzerland's two-man strike partnership fielded by Vladimir Petkovic. But he failed to justify his inclusion in the starting XI. Seferovic failed to complement Breel Embolo, who was brilliant throughout the game. The former also struggled to find his feet in the final third.

The Benfica striker had scored 22 goals for Benfica in the Primeira Liga but looked completely out of sorts against Wales. He took four of 18 shots recorded by Switzerland, but all of them were off target.

On the night, Seferovic's passing was also below par, as he completed only 60% of his passes. He failed to provide a spark in the final third. That was quite apparent when Mario Gavranovic replaced him and almost scored the winning goal.

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#4 Xherdan Shaqiri delivers for Switzerland

Wales vs Switzerland - UEFA Euro 2020: Group A

Xherdan Shaqiri provided the assist for Switzerland's only goal of the game. Despite being substituted off in the 61st minute, he was the most creative player on the pitch, as none else recorded more key passes (4) than Shaqiri.

The Liverpool winger did not record a single shot on target but was a key figure in ensuring a continuous supply of decent balls to his strikers.

50% - Xherdan Shaqiri has scored or assisted 50% of Switzerland’s goals at major tournaments since 2014 (World Cup + European Championships), netting five and setting up three of his side’s 16 goals in that time. Crucial. #WALSUI #EURO2020

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 12, 2021

With his assist from a corner, Shaqiri was once again involved in a goal scored by Switzerland at a major tournament.

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#5 VAR comes to Wales' rescue

Wales vs Switzerland - UEFA Euro 2020: Group A - VAR disallows goal

Switzerland had better chances in the game but struggled to convert them into goals. They also conceded the equaliser in the 74th minute off a brilliant Kieffer Moore header.

They pushed hard for the winning goal, replacing the misfiring Seferovic with Mario Gavranovic in the 84th minute. The substitute had an almost immediate impact, finding the back of the net with a well-timed volley. But the goal was ruled out for offside by VAR as Wales heaved a huge sigh of relief.

📸 - Gavranovic gave Switzerland the lead vs Wales in the 85th minute but it’s been ruled out due to offside. pic.twitter.com/T8lcXVsp9I

— 𝐀𝐅𝐂 𝐀𝐉𝐀𝐗 💎 (@TheEuropeanLad) June 12, 2021

EURO 2020 is the first edition of the continental tournament in which VAR has been used. Despite producing contentious calls at times, VAR was spot on in this game as Euro 2020 saw a goal disallowed by the video referee for the first time in the competition's history.

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