Will Shaqiri lead Switzerland to the latter stages?

Unfortunately for Switzerland, they have been paired up with host nation France in Group A of this summer’s European Championship.

However, they will also face Romania and Albania – and both fixtures are certainly winnable. Whilst top spot may be out of reach, there’s no reason why Switzerland cannot qualify for the knockout stages as runners up.

And while Vladimir Petkovic has plenty of talent at his disposal, Stoke City winger Xherdan Shaqiri may be Switzerland’s biggest threat and he is certainly capable of leading his nation to the latter stages of the competition. Shaqiri has been a breath of fresh air at the Britannia Stadium this season and he has been a key reason for Stoke’s successful campaign.

As of May 13th, Switzerland are priced at 2/9 with Coral to advance past the group stages and they cannot afford to advance as one of the third-placed sides or they risk facing England in the last-16 stage. If Roy Hodgson’s men, priced at 5/6 in Coral’s England betting odds, win the group, they could face Shaqiri and co – a clash that neither side will want.

If Shaqiri is at his scintillating best, Switzerland will surprise a few this summer. Petkovic’s men shouldn’t be overlooked and they are likely to take a large following of supporters to France. With the backing of their passionate fans and a bit of luck on the field, there’s no reason why they cannot shock the world and reach the quarter-finals at the very least.

Switzerland are a talented side and with the whole country behind them they can certainly reach the knockout stages at the very least. Unfortunately, that might be where their journey ends. According to Coral, Switzerland are 6/4 to be eliminated at the last-16 stage – mainly as they are probably going to face Germany in the next round.

Meanwhile, England’s betting odds are 2/1 to suffer defeat at the same stage and Hodgson’s men could face a potentially tricky clash with one of the third-placed sides. If nothing else, both nations are quite similar. Switzerland and England have enough quality to go far but they tend to underperform on the big stage.

Confidence may be waning amongst supporters but with Shaqiri and co in full flight, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see Switzerland exceed all expectations this summer. They’re not going to win the competition but, with a bit of luck, they are more than capable of reaching the knockout stages – and Shaqiri’s role will be crucial to their chances.