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Match Preview: Swiss must forget Italian disappointment if they are to advance

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Switzerland must shake off the disappointment of a mauling by Italy in their last European Championship game if they are to beat Turkey in Baku on Sunday and avoid elimination, warned coach Vladimir Petkovic.

Their last game in Group A is a must-win affair for both and comes on the back of a 3-0 loss in Rome on Wednesday that has caused soul-searching for the Swiss.

“The most important thing tomorrow will be to get stuck into the game, better than in the last one,” said Petkovic at Saturday’s pre-match news conference.

The Swiss were overrun by Italy and had also looked uninspired in their opening game against Wales, a 1-1 draw in Baku last weekend.

“We need to give everything and influence whatever we can influence. We must find our values, our connections between the parts of the team and then, most importantly, just give it our all. The 3-0 scoreline was enough of a suffering but that was against a very strong opponent and maybe that influenced a few things that we did not do well, but that’s in the past. We cannot do anything about it now. We have to focus on what we can influence now.”

Switzerland will have first choice goalkeeper Yann Sommer back after he left the squad for the birth of his second child. He flew after the match in Rome to Cologne and returned to the Swiss squad on Friday.

He missed the birth. “But I still got to spend a day with my family and met my second daughter,” he said.

Opponents Turkey go into the match on the back of two defeats in the tournament.

Turkey are hoping for a miracle in their final group game at Euro 2020, against Switzerland on Sunday, after losing their first two matches without scoring, coach Senol Gunes said.

“We are struggling to achieve a miracle now, and it is with a heavy heart we are leaving,” Gunes told a news conference on Saturday.
Defender Caglar Soyuncu said the team were determined to fight for a win against Switzerland at Baku’s Olympic Stadium.

“We are devastated to be in this situation. Even if it doesn’t save us from going home, we will get the win in our last game against Switzerland,” the Leicester City player said.

Turkey conceded five goals in their defeats by Italy and Wales in Group A.

“As a defender it’s a big disappointment to concede five goals. We want to make the right self-criticism and go on. It’s our last chance tomorrow and we are really excited about it,” Soyuncu said.

Third-placed Switzerland will also be determined to get a big win that could give them a chance of overtaking Wales, who play group leaders Italy on Sunday, and getting to the last 16.

Gunes said his team had not met expectations but Turkey still had young players who would form the backbone of the national side for a decade.

“To our young team, the defeat against Italy in our opening game, it felt like the end of the world,” Gunes said.

“However, it doesn’t matter we had bad results in this tournament, because these young men are the future of this country.”

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