Shaqiri keeps hope alive for Switzerland

Two goals against Turkey give Swiss a chance to reach the next round

A lifeline for Switzerland. More misery for Turkey.

Xherdan Shaqiri scored two goals Sunday to give Switzerland a 3-1 victory over Turkey and a likely place in the round of 16 at the European Championship.

Winger Steven Zuber assisted all three Switzerland goals, with Haris Seferovic getting the first and Shaqiri putting in the next two.

Irfan Can Kahveci scored for Turkey, the only goal the team managed at Euro 2020.

“We reacted after the defeat with Italy,” Shaqiri said, referring to the 3-0 loss in Rome on Wednesday. “We played like a unit and that was crucial today against this team. We knew that if we’re good, we’re going to create a lot of chances today against this team and we did.”

Switzerland finished third in Group A and will likely qualify as one of the four best thirdplace teams. The Swiss will have to wait until other groups are finished for confirmation.

If Switzerland had scored two more goals, it would have overtaken Wales for second place in Group A and a guaranteed spot in the next round. The Welsh lost to Italy 1-0 in Rome.

“I’m a bit disappointed with the goal we conceded. This is the only thing that I can say I’m not happy (about),” Shaqiri said. “We could score maybe one or two more goals for sure but at the end of the day it’s important to win the game and we did that.”

Boos echoed around the stadium at the end of the match as Turkey exited after losing all three of its games.

The team’s goal difference was minus-7, the worst since the European Championship expanded to a 24-team competition in 2016.

Seferovic put Switzerland ahead in the sixth minute and hushed what had briefly been a raucous crowd. Under pressure from the Swiss defence, Zuber

turned and played a pass for Seferovic, who placed his shot low into the far bottom corner from the edge of the box.

Zuber had a hand in Shaqiri’s second goal as well in the 26th. Seferovic drew the Swiss defence to the left side of the box and played in Zuber, who found Shaqiri in the space created. The Liverpool winger had time to control the ball and curl it into the top-right corner, leaving the goalkeeper no chance.

Kahveci got Turkey back into the game with his own spectacular curled shot in the 62nd — and was immediately substituted.

That woke up the pro-Turkey crowd in Baku, but Shaqiri soon broke away on a counterattack to restore the two-goal lead off Zuber’s third assist.

Italy matched a team-record 30-match unbeaten streak by beating Wales 1-0 at the European Championship.

Matteo Pessina scored late in the first half by redirecting a free kick from Marco Verratti.

Wales defender Ethan Ampadu was sent off with a straight red card for stepping on Federico Bernardeschi 10 minutes into the second half.

Italy finished Group A with a perfect nine points. Wales has four points.

The Italians will play the second-place team from Group C at Wembley Stadium in London next Saturday.

The victory also marked Italy’s 11th straight win and clean sheet.

North Macedonia captain Goran Pandev says his team’s final Group C match at the European Championship will be his last for the national team.

The 37-year-old Pandev has made 121 appearances for his country.

He says “I think this is the right moment to say goodbye to the national team.”

It’s not the first time Pandev has announced he has played his last game for North Macedonia. Igor Angelovski took over as coach in 2015 and one of his key decisions was to make Pandev come out of international retirement.

Pandev then scored the goal that secured North Macedonia’s place at Euro 2020.

Harry Kane will be keeping his place in the team for England’s final group match against the Czech Republic on Tuesday at the European Championship at Wembley Stadium.

The striker failed to score in England’s first two Group D matches. England beat Croatia 1-0 and was held to a 0-0 draw by Scotland.

England coach Gareth Southgate says his captain “is fundamental not only to the goals he scores but the buildup play and everything else he brings.”

Southgate says Kane “is our most important player” and adds “you’ve only got to look at his goalscoring record with us to see his importance to the team.”