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It’s a “do or die” situation for Romania after losing to the hosts France because of a late Dimitri Payet brilliant goal. Romania had the stingiest defence in qualification as they conceded just 2 goals in the 10 qualifying games.
A defeat to Switzerland is likely to close the doors on their Euro campaign even though there is a small chance of them going through with a third place finish. Romania’s strength lies in their defence with a disciplined 4-2-3-1 system and the coach Anghel Lordanescu knows how to get the best out of his team.
On the other hand, a win for Switzerland will seal their place in the next round. The coach Vladimir Petkovic has come out of his traditional 3-4-3 style to a 4-2-3-1 and occasionally uses the 4-3-3 formation which ascertains that he is hungry for more success.
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The new Arsenal star Granit Xhaka who pulled out a man of the match performance against Albania will be the key this time as well.
#1 Granit Xhaka
The new Arsenal star – regarded as the ‘Next Bastian Schweinsteiger’ has filled the void of their former captain Gokhan Inler. Granit has cemented his place in the Swiss squad perfectly because of his brilliant display in Bundesliga with Borussia Monchengladbach, and when Arsene Wenger splashes $30 million on a defensive midfielder then you need to realise how valuable he is.
He can be deployed as a playmaker in a 4-3-3 formation if Valon Behrami and Blerim Dzemaili play on his sides. With two tenacious players to support him, Xhaka can unleash his iconic long passes and can go forward as well. He is a born leader and can drive the team on his own. Xhaka’s physical presence will be a boon for Swiss squad in battling set pieces as well.
#2 Stephan Lichtsteiner
He is the new captain of the Switzerland team and has won the Scudetto 5 times in a row with Juventus. After amassing a lot of experience in Serie A as well as in the UEFA Champions League by playing in the right back position, Stephan will be crucial for any success the Swiss squad will be hoping to have this time.
If Vladimir Petkovic deploys 3 defensive midfielders, Stephan can enjoy more freedom going forward to use his attacking instincts. He can put the ball into the box from the flank easily and can also initiate a quick counter attack.
With Yan Sommer guarding the post, Lichtsteiner and his counterpart on the left wing, Ricardo Rodriguez, will be tempted to push forward at each and every opportunity. However, a draw can boost their chances of qualifying, so he might not risk going forward all the time.
#3 Xherdan Shaqiri
Nicknamed ‘The Alpine Messi’ – The Stoke City man and former Bayern Munich star, Shaqiri, will be a treat to watch in this game. He has excellent vision and tends to be unpredictable with the ball at his feet.
His main strength is that he is adept with both the feet. He has garnered 17 goals in 54 international appearances and has represented Switzerland at the 2010 and 2014 World Cups. Shaqiri has a hat trick to his name in the last World Cup and had a good time in the Euro qualifiers as well.
His versatility will be vital to battle out a strong Romanian defensive wall. He has earned the reputation of stamping his authority in big games while playing for Switzerland. If the Swiss are going to stick to their attacking game then Shaqiri will be the fulcrum around which their attack will revolve.
#4 Ciprian Tatarusanu
He has been crucial for Romania by guarding a defence that conceded 2 goals in 10 games in the qualifying phase and no other side matched that. He was arguably the best goalkeeper in Serie A, after Juventus star Gianluigi Buffon, playing for Fiorentina.
He can organise a good defensive shield against the opponents which we saw in the game against France. The 30-year-old goalkeeper has 34 international caps to his name after making his debut in 2010 and his experience will be vital for Romania since he is one of the very few Romanian players who are playing in the top 5 leagues in Europe.
He used to keep a clean sheet in every 3 games at Fiorentina and was named the Romanian player of the year for 2015, making him the first goalkeeper to win this award in nearly three decades.
#5 Vlad Chiriches
Chiriches is the most valuable player in the current Romanian squad and the 26-year-old centre-back is key to their strong defensive display. Even though he had a poor spell in North London with Spurs, he has been doing a decent job in Italy with Napoli.
His major strength is defending set-pieces, but he has the habit of making some silly mistakes. His pace will be crucial to counter players like Xherdan Shaqiri and his height and reading of the game will be important to head out dangerous crosses from the Swiss full-backs Stephan Lichtsteiner and Ricardo Rodriguez.
Since Romania rely on a good defensive formation, it will be very important for him to organise it well. The Romanian captain also has the job of lifting the morale of his players after succumbing to a defeat against France in the closing stage of the game.
