Scotland and Switzerland shared the points as Cologne played host to a frenetic draw in Group A.
There was nothing to separate Scotland and Switzerland in Cologne
Scott McTominay and Xherdan Shaqiri swapped first-half goals as Scotland and Switzerland played out an entertaining 1-1 draw in their second UEFA EURO 2024 match.
Key moments
13′: McTominay’s effort goes in off Schär
26′: Shaqiri swoops on loose back pass to curl in
32′: Ndoye denied by Gunn
58′: Ndoye fires wide when clean through
67′: Hanley heads against post
90′: Amdouni header slips just wide
Match in brief: Scotland battle hard to keep dream alive
Andy Robertson takes on Silvan Widmer in Cologne
Although just the sides’ second match of the tournament, this Group A encounter had the feeling a knockout game, not least because of Scotland’s position in the group and their fans’ intense backing from the off.
With huge roars greeting every won throw-in and 50-50 tackle, the players responded and were soon in the lead. Andy Robertson broke clear down the left and fed Callum McGregor, whose cut-back was struck goalwards by McTominay. Yann Sommer looked certain to collect but Fabian Schär stuck out a leg and diverted the ball into the top corner.
The Tartan Army were sent into raptures but the joy did not last long as Switzerland were level by the 26th minute. Making his first appearance of the tournament, Shaqiri was occupying a central role and when Anthony Ralston slipped a loose pass inside, he latched onto it, bending a brilliant first-time effort past Angus Gunn.
The Scotland goalkeeper then had to be sharp to deny Dan Ndoye as the game’s pace refused to settle down. Steve Clarke’s men suffered a blow on the hour as Kieran Tierney was forced off with a hamstring injury trying to stop Ndoye, who could only shoot wide. Grant Hanley then headed a Robertson free-kick against the post as the game remained in the balance.
McTominay had a volley blocked while Ndoye continued to look dangerous, now down the left with Breel Embolo having entered the fray. Another Swiss substitute, Zeki Amdouni headed just wide as the game slipped into added time but it was Scotland pressing at the end. Although they were unable to give their fans the second goal they craved, they have at least kept their EURO dream alive, while Switzerland move onto four points behind already-qualified Germany in Group A.
Vivo Player of the Match: Manuel Akanji (Scotland)
“Dominant in the air, organised the back three well, composed on the ball, excellent in the build-up and four line-breaking passes.”
lex O’Henley, Scotland reporter
This was played like a knockout tie but a point apiece feels like a fair result after a pulsating game in Cologne. Scotland thought they had won it when Hanley’s header crashed back off the post, and again when McTominay threatened to score his second of the evening. It’s a big point for Scotland, though, as it maintains their hopes of progressing to the knockout stages of a major tournament for the first time.
Anna-Sophia Vollmerhausen, Switzerland reporter
Faced with a Scotland side with their backs up against the wall, the Swiss at times looked frantic and unsettled. They knew it would be an intense, tough game, and have Shaqiri to thank for ensuring that they return with a point. Tournament football doesn’t leave much time to dwell on the result, however, as the focus will now shift almost immediately to their all-important final group game against hosts Germany.
Reaction
Key stats
- Shaqiri is the only European player to have scored in each of the last six EURO and World Cup tournaments.
- John McGinn has appeared in Scotland’s last 31 games in all competitions, the longest run since Tom Boyd played 38 consecutive matches from August 1995 to June 1999.
- Switzerland named their oldest ever EURO starting XI (30 years 119 days).
- This is the first time since scoring three in 1992 that Scotland have found the net more than once at EURO.
- Shaqiri has now appeared in seven EURO and World Cup tournaments, a Switzerland record.
Line-ups
Scotland: Gunn; Ralston, Hendry, Hanley, Tierney (McKenna 61), Robertson; McTominay, Gilmour (McLean 79), McGregor, McGinn (Christie 90); Adams (Shankland 90)
Switzerland: Sommer; Schär, Akanji, Rodríguez; Widmer (Stergiou 86), Xhaka, Freuler (Sierro 75), Aebischer; Ndoye (Amdouni 86), Shaqiri (Embolo 60), Vargas (Rieder 75)