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4 months ago
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Fabian Schar became the first Newcastle United player through to the last 16 of the 2024 European Championships BUT the final scoreline of Switzerland 1 Germany 1 doesn’t come close to telling the full story.
The Newcastle United defender starting for Switzerland in their third and final Euros group match on Sunday night.
The Swiss knowing that avoiding defeat would guarantee them progress alongside Germany from Group A.
However, from the outset, it was clear that Switzerland had no intention of trying to eke out a goalless bore draw to get the point they needed.
Switzerland were brave and dangerous up front, whilst they were magnificent at the back.
With Germany struggling to create chances, the underdogs shocked them on 28 minutes, when a great move with Freuler squaring from the left an Ndoye volleying home.
An expectation that the hosts would come roaring back and carve Switzerland open, just never happened. Germany had played their full strength team despite having already qualified, as they wanted to make sure of the position at the top of the group.
It made no difference though as Switzerland continued to look dangerous and the Germans floundered, as Fabian Schar and his fellow defenders held firm.
Some of the stats may suggest Germany were the better team and deserved something but they are misleading. The hosts may have had more possession, corners and shots, however, the reality is that they created very few clear openings and it was Switzerland who looked most likely to add another goal.
Switzerland had more efforts on target in the 90 minutes, 3 v 2, showing just what a brilliant job Fabian Schar had done in keeping Germany away from Sommer’s goal. That didn’t include either a very marginal VAR offside decision when Ndoye thought he had put them 2-0 up.
It was totally undeserved when Germany grabbed a draw in the second minute of added time, though Fullkrug’s header was excellent.
So it finished Switzerland 1 Germany 1 in the end and it is the hosts not the Swiss who finish top of the group as both automatically progress. Though a moral victory for sure when it comes to Switzerland.
The Swiss are unbeaten since switching to three at the back, with Fabian Schar regularly starting on the right of the three, seven games unbeaten now and looking dangerous.
Switzerland now play on Saturday 29 June against the runners up of Group, which looks sure to be Italy unless they lose to Croatia tonight.
As you can see, the Whoscored automated ratings made Fabian Schar man of the match (jointly with Tony Kroos) from all 22 starters last night, a rating of 7.4 for the Newcastle United and Switzerland star.
Elsewhere in Group A, a woeful Scotland performance saw them manage zero shots on target as Hungary deservedly (12 shots in total including five on target, compared to Scotland’s one off target effort all game) won the game with a winner in the tenth minute of added time. Scotland were clinging on to the unlikely hope two points might take them through as one of the four best third place teams, however, now Hungary hoping to do that with a more realistic three points.
Newcastle United players on international duty:
Saturday 15 June
Switzerland 3 Hungary 1 (Euros Group match)
The Newcastle United defender with a very good personal performance, playing the full 90 minutes as the Swiss deservedly beat Hungary.
Sunday 16 June
England 1 Serbia 0 (Euros Group match)
England got the job done, eventually.
Anthony Gordon an unused substitute but Kieran Trippier playing the full 90 minutes and doing ok at left-back. His job to stretch things in attack up England’s left hand side, with likes of Foden not willing/able to stay out wide and instead continually drifting inside. With the plan clearly for all of England’s main attacking to be through the middle and especially out wide on the right.
That is where the excellent winning goal came from, a great ball from Walker putting Saka in behind and his deflected cross perfectly then flighted for Bellingham’s pinpoint run into the box and the header giving Serbia’s keeper no chance.
At the other end was Trippier’s main task though and with the rest of the defence he did well, especially after the break when England suddenly went all defensive and invited Serbia to go for the equaliser. The Three Lions offering zero threat in the second-half apart from sub Bowen’s cross where the keeper made a great save but in reality Kane should have given him zero chance with the header.
Pickford only had one shot on target to save all game and whilst the commentator and pundits raved about it, in reality it was from outside the box and straight at him, the England keeper tipping the ball over the bar.
The highlight of Trippier’s performance was when Serbia got into the box on the left and an equaliser beckoned for Serbia with Mitrovic waiting for the ball to be squared for a tap-in. However, the Newcastle defender covering his central defenders had got across and was too strong for Mitro who was sent sprawling and claiming for a forlorn penalty.
Monday 17 June
Slovakia 1 Belgium 0 (Euros Group match)
Martin Dubravka and his Slovakia teammates pulling off a massive shock, third ranked in the world Belgium beaten by a team ranked 48th.
Schranz scoring after only seven minutes and the Newcastle keeper and his international teammates more than matching Belgium. What a victory.
Wednesday 19 June
Switzerland 1 Scotland 1 (Euros Group match)
Fabian Schar and Switzerland with a nightmare start after 13 minutes, the Newcastle defender deflecting a McTominay shot past his keeper, a shot which would almost for sure have been saved without Schar’s intervention.
The NUFC defender recovering to have another decent game. Helping Switzerland stand up to a very physical but limited Scotland team, Shaqiri with a brilliant 26th minute long range curled into the top corner effort to equalise. The Swiss should have went on to win but wasted a fair few chances and Scotland got lucky with two goals denied by VAR fine margins.
Thursday 20 June 2024
England 1 Denmark 1 (Euros Group match)
Yet another Gareth Southgate masterclass of cluelessness and negativity.
The team playing so deep and defensive, clearly the plan to try and stop Denmark scoring and not a plan of how England would score.
On 18 minutes some individual opportunism and ambition by Kyle Walker as he ignored Southgate’s orders and pressed high, won the ball in a dangerous position and Kane scoring from close in, he couldn’t miss.
Southgate’s reaction was to have England even more negative and defensive, invited Denmark on and they equalised 16 minites later. The whole game a shambles with the negative tactics and no apparent plan as to how England were trying to win the game. Very lucky to get a draw.
Kieran Trippier played well on the left and didn’t put a foot wrong.
Friday 21 June 2024
Slovakia 1 Ukraine 2 (Euros Group match)
Martin Dubravka and Slovakia looking to be cruising through to the last 16 when dominating the first half and leading 1-0. However, Ukraine came out for the second half all fired up and turned it around, equalising on 54 minutes and then a shocker with 10 minutes to go from Martin Dubravka, when a ball was played over the top that he should have dealt with, allowing the striker to score from a narrow angle and he should have stopped it for sure.
Sunday 23 June 2024
Switzerland 1 Germany 1 (Euros Group match)
A man of the match performance from Fabian Schar helped Switzerland get the point they needed to guarantee progress to the last 16.
However, a brave and dangerous Swiss side deserved the win, as Germany created next to no clear chances. Switzerland scoring a great team goall on 28 minutes and then defending brilliantly but at the same time looking more dangerous on the break than the hosts.
The win they deserved was denied in the second minute of added time due to a quality header from sub Fullkrug. A moral victory for Fabian Schar and his teammates and a perfromance that will give them massive confidence and momemtum for their last 16 tie on Saturday.
Monday 24 June 2024
Costa Rica v Brazil (Bruno Guimaraes) Copa America Group match
Colombia v Paraguay (Miguel Almiron) Copa America Group match
Tuesday 25 June 2024
England v Slovenia (Anthony Gordon and Kieran Trippier) Euros Group match 8pm ITV1
Wednesday 26 June 2024
Slovakia v Romania (Martin Dubravka) Euros Group match 5pm BBC TBC
Friday 28 June 2024
Paraguay v Brazil (Bruno Guimaraes and Miguel Almiron) Copa America Group match
Tuesday 2 July 2024
Colombia v Brazil (Bruno Guimaraes) Copa America Group match
(There will of course be more matches for Newcastle United players if their nations get through the group stages of the Copa America and/or the European Championships.)
Sunday 14 July 2024 – European Championships final.
Sunday 14 July 2024 – Copa America final.

 
