Switzerland U21 take on the visitors France U21 in the round 3 match of UEFA Euro U21. The match will be played on Wednesday, June 28th at Stadionul Dr. Constantin Rădulescu (Cluj-Napoca).
Switzerland made their debut in this age group at the Euro in 2002, and that was only because the mountainous country was entrusted with hosting the championship. However, the debutant immediately reached the semi-finals. Although, in the following two years, they only managed one draw in three matches. The next peak came in 2011 when they finally returned and reached the semifinals. But before and after that, they faced failures in the playoffs for qualifying. It was only in 2021 that the Swiss appeared at the Euro again, but they were once again limited to the group stage. In the qualifying campaign, the team fell three points behind the leader, the Netherlands. However, their 23 points and a goal difference of "+16" were enough for them to become the "best second-placed" team and advance to the tournament without going through the playoff round. In the tournament itself, the "Neutrals" started against Norway and managed to secure an important 2-1 victory with a goal and an assist from Imeri. In the next round, they faced a more prestigious opponent, Italy. Imeri, the Young Boys midfielder, also made an impact in that match, but the team faced a significant deficit after the first half, during which the "Azzurri" scored three times. As a result, Switzerland lost, but only by a minimal margin of 2-3.
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After reaching the semifinals of Euro 2006, France failed to qualify for the next continental tournament. In the end, they had six consecutive unsuccessful cycles. However, their recent championships have been decent, with a semifinal appearance in 2019 and reaching the quarterfinals in 2021. In the current qualifying campaign, despite the fact that the best young players born no earlier than 2000 are playing under Deschamps, the team confidently secured qualification. They only had two draws in their ten matches, winning the remaining eight matches with a goal difference of 31-5. However, of course, their first opponent in the tournament was significantly stronger than the defeated Ukraine and Serbia in the qualifiers, as Italy boasted stars from Serie A and beyond. In a tough battle, France managed to win 2-1, although they had to defend fiercely towards the end of the match, with saves from Maignan, goal-line clearances, and a red card. On Sunday, they faced Norway, and although it was not easy, they still secured a victory, this time with a score of 1-0. Therefore, the favorites managed to advance to the playoffs without displaying a dazzling performance.
France is considered the favorite in this matchup. However, they have already resolved all the uncertainties in the group stage, while facing a strong and motivated opponent. I would bet that Switzerland will not lose.
Prediction for the match: Switzerland not to lose.
