The 5021 spectators at the Stade de la Tuilière were treated to a spectacular U21 European Championship qualifier between Switzerland and France. The Swiss draw 1-1 after a strong performance - but are still not completely satisfied after the game.
It is half a star ensemble that France sends onto the pitch in Lausanne. Leny Yoro from Manchester United, market value 55 million euros. Mathys Tel from Tottenham Hotspur, market value 35 million euros. Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille, 30 million euros market value.
According to "Transfermarkt.ch", the French players have a total market value of around 320 million euros. By comparison, the Swiss senior national team has a market value of around 240 million euros - the U21 team has a market value of "only" around 36 million euros.
However, there was no sign of a difference in class on Friday evening. Switzerland played better. Sascha Stauch's team created numerous top chances in the first half and took a deserved lead through St.Gallen striker Alessandro Vogt in the 38th minute.
France only get into gear late on
The game continued in the same vein after the break. The Swiss whirl around the sides and have the midfield firmly under control. And up front, Vogt repeatedly had excellent finishing opportunities. The FCSG goalscorer has chances to score a hat-trick, but sometimes misses them carelessly. "I'm a bit unhappy, to be honest," said Vogt after the game. "We knew we could be better and get our chances."
And the French? Disappointing across the board for an hour. After a triple substitution, the highly praised starting team got into the game better. And in the 66th minute, Silas Huber's first shot on goal was on target: substitute Bournemouth striker Eli Junior Kroupi equalized.
The goal gave the visitors courage. Shortly afterwards, the Swiss were lucky when the French side hit the post. Later, central defender Jérémy Jacquet missed a mega chance from close range and in the final phase, Huber, who had been out of action for a long time, had to make one or two saves for the national team. In the end, the points were shared.
Stauch: "It's a bit of a shame"
"It was great for 65 minutes. After that, it became a defensive battle for us. It certainly wasn't a stolen point," said coach Sascha Stauch, analyzing the match. "There was certainly more in it. If we make it 2:0, I don't know if France can come back again. That's why it's a bit of a shame."
But the joy and pride of the mature performance outweigh the disappointment, says the coach. FCZ professional Cheveyo Tsawa also says: "When we see what kind of players are on the other side, we can be very proud. We can take a lot from this game. If we now get the win on Tuesday, it will be a successful international break for us."
On Tuesday, Tsawa and Co. face a must-win game at bottom-placed Luxembourg. After the 1:1 draw against France, Switzerland remain unbeaten in qualifying for the U21 European Championship and are in second place with eight points from four games. The goal is clear, at least for Tsawa: "We want to go straight to the European Championship as group winners!"
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Switzerland U21 - France U21 1:1 (1:0)
Lausanne. - SR Barbara (MLT). - Goals: 38 Vogt 1:0. 66 Kroupi 1:1.
Switzerland: Huber; Athekame, Ogbus, Nyakossi, Britschgi; Meyer, Tsawa, Chipperfield (90. Zé), Streit (71. Keller); Vogt (83. Boteli), Giger (71. Meichtry).
Ranking: 1. Faroe Islands 5/9. 2. Switzerland 4/8. 3. Iceland 5/8. 4. France 3/7. 5. Estonia 5/2. 6. Luxembourg 4/1.
Mode: The nine group winners and the best group runner-up qualify directly for the 2027 European Championship finals in Albania and Serbia. The other group runners-up will determine the last four places at the European Championships in direct matches (first and second legs).
