Schaer goal seals Switzerland win at Euro 2016

Both midfielders started in the second match of the European Championship at Stade Bollaert-Delelis in Lens.

Referee Carlos Velasco Carballo gives a yellow card to Albania’s Ergys Kace during the Euro 2016 Group A soccer match between Albania and Switzerland, at the Bollaert stadium in Lens, France, Saturday, June 11, 2016.

A more experienced and mature Switzerland side eventually prevailed, in the end, most of their players partake in elite European competitions such as Lichtsteiner, Sommer, Rodriguez, Xhaka and more, while on the other side of the equation, Albanian’s global experience is very limited.

Keeping the Swiss out for as long as possible was clearly going to be key to their success but those plans were quickly buried when goalkeeper Etrit Berisha, who otherwise had an excellent match, misjudged a Swiss corner in the fifth minute and allowed Fabian Schaer to head home.

England supporters throw projectiles amongst tear gas at the port of Marseille before the Euro 2016 England v Russian Federation match, at Stade Velodrome, Marseille, France June 11, 2016. He added that the red card “really changed the balance of the game”.

The match was notable because several members of Switzerland’s squad have family links to Albania and vice versa. “Afterwards we got a bit too passive”.

Albania, featuring in their first major tournament, will take plenty of positives from the performance, but they must now translate that into points.

Less brothers in arms, more brothers at each other’s throats – metaphorically speaking – as sibling rivalry took center stage at Euro 2016 Saturday. “We will be mentally stronger after coming through this”. The pressure got to us and for 20 minutes we were under par.

Albania were exhibiting some nerves on the Euro stage but would settle as Taulant Xhaka tried to show his brother up as he linked up well with a teammate and shot wide of the Swiss goal in the 25th minute. The Zurich-born forward’s chance to write the ideal ending to this most contemporary of European football match-ups had gone, and so had Albania’s opportunity to take a deserved point from an encounter that had seemed sure to get away from them.

Dzemaili flashed a first-time shot wide before Seferovic’s angled shot was parried by Berisha, who then denied the Swiss striker on two more occasions after the break.

“We should have scored more, but hopefully we have saved our goals for the next match”, Granit Xhaka said.

While Switzerland dominated possession Albania continued to pose a sporadic threat with Sadiku firing into the side-netting and Lenjani unsuccessfully appealing for a penalty after tangling with right-back Stephan Lichtsteiner.

Seferovic missed Switzerland’s best chance early in the second half, coming in from the left, but Berisha was well-positioned at the near post. Switzerland next plays Romania in Paris on Wednesday, while Albania takes on France in Marseille later that night.