UEFA Euro 2020: Despite a Xherdan Shaqiri double, Switzerland is forced to wait for their knockout fate.

Switzerland defeated Turkey 3-1 in Baku on Sunday, but they will have to wait to see if they can qualify for the last 16 of Euro 2020 as one of the four best third-placed teams. After a 1-0 loss to Italy, Wales remained in second place in Group A thanks to a better goal difference. Shaqiri’s goals came after Haris Seferovic’s first-half opener and either side of Turkey’s only goal of the tournament, scored by Irfan Kahveci. Vladimir Petkovic made two changes from Switzerland’s heavy loss to Italy on Wednesday, including starting Steven Zuber for the first time in the championship.

Senol Gunes of Turkey brought back center-back Merih Demiral after benching the Juventus defender last time out, with his team attempting to avoid a third consecutive competitive defeat for the first time since Euro 1996.

Switzerland scored in the sixth minute, deafening the 17,000-strong crowd cheering for Turkey due to close historical and diplomatic ties between Ankara and Baku.

After Zuber’s dummy, Seferovic buried a low effort past Turkish goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir for his 22nd international goal.

Twenty minutes later, Zuber was involved again, as Seferovic held up possession and his pass was deflected to the Eintracht Frankfurt winger’s feet.
After that, the former Hoffenheim man fed Shaqiri, who curled a sublime effort past a helpless Cakir.
Less than two minutes later, Shaqiri should have doubled his tally for the game when a bursting run put the Liverpool midfielder clear with only the goalkeeper to beat, but Cakir saved with his foot.

Mert Muldur tested goalkeeper Yann Sommer with a shot from outside the area just after the half-hour mark, but the 32-year-old, who became a father for the second time earlier this week, parried it away.

Switzerland’s lead was cut in half on the hour mark, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

Hakan Calhanoglu found Kahveci outside the area, and he fired a left-footed strike into the top corner for his first international goal.

Six minutes later, however, Shaqiri scored his second goal to give Switzerland a two-goal lead.

Following a quick counter-attack, the 29-year-old, who had only scored once in 22 club appearances this season, netted again from another Zuber assist.

Switzerland still needed a two-goal swing with 20 minutes remaining to leapfrog Wales into second place.

Petkovic bolstered his attack by replacing goal scorers Xherdan Shaqiri and Aleksandar Mitrovic with Ruben Vargas and Mario Gavranovic.

However, Switzerland was unable to find the necessary goals, and their fate is now dependent on the outcomes of the other teams.

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