Skip to main contentSkip to navigationSkip to key eventsSkip to navigation

Poland are into the quarter-finals after defeating Switzerland on penalties in a match lit up by an extraordinaryscissor-kick from Xherdan Shaqiri

 Updated 
Sat 25 Jun 2016 11.49 EDTFirst published on Sat 25 Jun 2016 08.00 EDT
Poland’s Artur Jedrzejczyk celebrates after Grzegorz Krychowiak scores during the penalty shootout to win the match.
Poland’s Artur Jedrzejczyk celebrates after Grzegorz Krychowiak scores during the penalty shootout to win the match. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Reuters
Poland’s Artur Jedrzejczyk celebrates after Grzegorz Krychowiak scores during the penalty shootout to win the match. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Reuters

Live feed

Key events

Well, what a horrible experience for Granit Xhaka. His penalty was among the worst you’ll ever see. It went way, way west. It’s a pity that we’ll see n more of Shaqiri in this tournament as he arrived in style and was the best player by a mile in the second half and extra-time. As for Poland, they were solid agains and full of character. If Lewandowski ever turns up, they will be very tricky opponents for whoever they face. Right, I have to shoot off. Thanks for you emails and tweets. We’ll always have that Shaqiri goal won’t we?

Poland are into the quarter-finals!

Poland win 5-4 on penalties! Grzegorz Krychowiak keeps his head and finds the corner. Five brilliant, nerveless spot-kicks.

Poland’s Grzegorz Krychowiak scores during the penalty shootout to win the match. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Reuters
Share
Updated at 

So, it looks like the penalties will be taken in front of the end where the Swiss fans are gathered. I’m nervous. Penalties just make me jittery.

Fabianski has been in great form today, so strong and the busier keeper late in the game. Could it be that he is the matchwinner?

ET118 min: Piszczek is played through by Krychowiak, whose pass takes a deflection on the way through and ends up at the feet of the full-back, who can’t shift his body to get a shot away and allows Sommer to clear.

ET117 min: It’s that man Derdiyok again! Seferovic gets on to the end of a long ball played into the left channel and wraps his foot round a cross towards Derdiyok that bounces awkwardly in front of him meaning he can only watch it bounce off his knee and fall into Fabianski’s hands.

ET116 min: “I’ve always thought that Trevor Sinclair’s overhead kick was the one which killed all other overhead kicks. Is the Shaqiri one better than Trev’s?” writes Dave Grinnell. It’s good but that Trev one is something else. Shaqiri runs him close though.

ET 115 min: Derdiyok wallops a free-kick towards the Pyrenees. Not a good couple of minutes from the Swiss striker there. I’d have Shaqiri doing everything right now. Did Swiss media really question his fitness?

ET113 min: What a pass from Shaqiri! What a save from Fabianski! The little man, who has come to life in dramatic fashion, dinks a delicious little ball over the Swiss defence to Derdiyok on the back post, who heads at goal from eight yards out and forces a wonderful reaction stop from Fabianski.

Lukasz Fabianski of Poland saves the header by Eren Derdiyok. Photograph: Alex Livesey/Getty Images
Share
Updated at 

ET110 min: Lewandowski is fouled about three times in one passage of play, eventually winning a free-kick for a fourth foul that wasn’t by Shaqiri. The attack leads to nothing.

@GreggBakowski Man, Lewandowski's eaten more grass today than a herd of dairy cattle.

— Hubert O'Hearn (@BTBReviews) June 25, 2016

ET108 min: Glik heads behind for a corner. Not a good idea against Switzerland. The first is cleared behind. The second is cleared out. But the ball breaks to Shaqiri, who shows wonderful skill, as though he hasn’t got 108 minutes’ worth of football in his legs, bamboozling his marker and forcing another corner with a little cross to the near post.

ET107 min: Shaqiri is bright and inventive, popping a couple of passes left and right and eventually finding Embolo on the right, but the teenager is tackled well on the run.

ET105 min: Switzerland cause a little panic at the back after a ball into the box is deflected towards Embolo but Pazdan, who has been very, very good, hammers the ball clear on the volley.

ET104 min: Peszko, who as just come on for Grosicki, takes little time in getting involved, dragging down Lichtsteiner after the full-back showed the first bit of attacking intent in the past 10 minutes. The resulting free-kick comes to nought.

ET102 min: Nothing is happening here. So here’s Conor Murphy: “Xherdan Shaqiri’s goal: nice but could he do it on a rainy night in …” Honk!

Share
Updated at 

ET100 min: And there it is. Maczynski drops to the floor due to cramp and Jodlowiec replaces him.

Share
Updated at 

ET99 min: I’m pretty sure Poland haven’t made a substitution yet. Extraordinary. They have 22 legs chock full of lactic acid out there.

Share
Updated at 

ET98 min: Either Lewandowski overhits a pass or Piszczek checks his run. Either way a Poland move reaches a disappointing end. Here’s an email from Kári Tulinius: “Normally I can’t stand the Swiss team, as no dull football is as dull as when the Swiss are involved. Rote and annoying, they’re like a cuckoo clock that shits on your head. However, any team with Xherdan “Power Cube” Shaqiri is capable of moments of transcendence. I hope he goes back to Shaqiri so I can go back to my irrational grudge against the Swiss team.”

Share
Updated at 

ET97 min: Poland have possession but they don’t appear to have anyone with the legs to do anything with it. Djourou clears a cross from the left and Poland pick up possession once more.

Share
Updated at 

ET95 min: Shaqiri threads a ball through to Seferovic and then gets on the move. He picks it up again and jinks into the box on teh left, where he tries to score another sensational goal by chipping Fabianski from 12 yards. He doesn’t, getting under it and sending it over. He has stones that lad.

Xherdan Shaqiri shoots. Photograph: Laurent Cipriani/AP
Share
Updated at 

ET 92 min: Pazdan makes a fine macho tackle on Derdiyok over by the touchline, sliding through him, winning the ball and making a point.

Peep!

ET 90 min: Poland get us underway. Derdiyok is fouled for Switzerland. Rodriguez lofts it into the Poland penalty area but it’s headed clear. Poland have been solid but they tired dramatically at the end of that second half. Doesn’t bode well for them.

A selection of your reactions to Shaqiri's goal …

“Gooooooooooooooooooool! Feel the Bern!” – Andy Gordon.

“Bicycle kicks don’t lie” – Marie Meyer.

“Did that just happen?! That’s the best volley since Ronnie Whelan’s effort against the USSR in ’88. Okay then, APART FROM Van Basten’s in the final that year!” – Justin Kavanagh.

“As good as Rivaldo’s goal was, this was better. The ball wasn’t controlled by Shaqiri before hitting it and he had to stretch and contort to produce a scissor kick to a ball moving away fro the goal. Rivaldo’s goal was one where you applauded but Shaqiri’s makes you laugh and swear because you just cannot believe that someone had the thought to do that let alone being able to actually do it. It was a ridiculous scissor kick” – Neil Mackie.

@GreggBakowski Shaqirir's goal was as beautiful as any you'll ever see. It will be shown in slo-mo with symphonic music for years of intros

— Hubert O'Hearn (@BTBReviews) June 25, 2016
Share
Updated at 

Most viewed

Most viewed