Switzerland's Xherdan Shaqiri celebrates his side's equalizing goal during a Group A match between Scotland and Switzerland at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Cologne, Germany on June 19.The Associated Press
Xherdan Shaqiri’s stunning first-half strike secured a 1-1 draw for Switzerland against Scotland at the European Championship on Wednesday.
The 32-year-old Chicago Fire forward rolled back the years with a first-time curling effort from about 20 metres out at Cologne Stadium.
Scotland had led from the 13th minute when Scott McTominay’s shot took a wicked deflection off Fabian Schar to beat Switzerland goalkeeper Yann Sommer.
But Shaqiri pounced on Anthony Ralston’s loose pass in the 26th to even the match.
The draw leaves Switzerland second in Group B on four points and likely to advance to the round of 16, while Scotland’s hopes of making the knockout round depend on its final game against Hungary on Sunday and results elsewhere.
Both teams had chances to win the game.
The Swiss should have taken the lead just before the hour mark when Dan Ndoye turned Kieran Tierney on the edge of the box. With just goalkeeper Angus Gunn to beat, Ndoye fired wide of goal.
Grant Hanley then headed against the post from a Scotland free kick and Switzerland’s Zeki Amdouni headed wide at the far post late on.
Scotland has never advanced beyond the group stage of a World Cup or Euros on 11 previous attempts.
But repeated disappointment doesn’t seem to dampen optimism among its fans, who filled Cologne’s square before the game.
Swiss fans were out in numbers, too, creating a raucous atmosphere in the stadium.
The Scots were the first ones cheering when Schar stuck out a boot to try to block McTominay’s effort, but diverted it into his own net.
The lead didn’t last long as Ralston was guilty of a wayward pass at the back. Even then, it took a moment of brilliance from Shaqiri to sweep a left-footed shot into the top corner and past Gunn.
It was the sixth straight major international tournament in which Shaqiri has scored for his country.
Germany became the first country to advance to the round of 16 after 2-0 win over Hungary.
Goals from Jamal Musiala and Ilkay Gundogan made it two wins from two for the host and ensured there would be no repeat of its group-stage exit from the 2022 World Cup.
Substitute Klaus Gjasula scored in the fifth minute of stoppage time as Albania held World Cup semifinalist Croatia to a 2-2 draw in Group B. Gjasula’s own goal, just four minutes after entering the game in the second half, had looked like handing Croatia the win until his late strike.