Liverpool target to inspire Swiss Under-21s against Iceland
Published:One of the most recognisable names outside of the England and Spain squads at the European Under-21 Championship, Swiss superstar Xherdan Shaqiri is back in action this afternoon as his side take on Iceland in Group A…
Switzerland Under-21s vs Iceland Under-21s
Shaqiri has 11 senior caps to his name and has twice impressed against England, prompting rumours that the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United and Aston Villa are tracking his progress.
The winger, widely regarded as the future of Swiss football, wasted no time vindicating his status as one of the players to look out for in Denmark by scoring the only goal against the hosts in their opening fixture to boost their hopes of progress.
They weren’t great in that fixture though, with goalkeeper Yann Sommer outshining even Shaqiri by pulling off a number of excellent saves to ensure that his country made a winning start, and they are a tempting 5/6 to build on that against Iceland.
Big things were expected of Iceland, who qualified ahead of holders Germany, beating them 4-1 on the way, but they failed to take their chances against Belarus and were punished when Coventry’s Aron Gunnarsson conceded a penalty and was dismissed.
Iceland’s wastefulness then is probably a factor in under 2.5 goals being priced at 4/6, with Switzerland 5/1 to win 1-0.
Denmark Under-21s vs Belarus Under-21s
The hosts are surprisingly strong favourites at 4/6 despite losing their opener against Switzerland and the fact that Belarus enjoyed a 2-0 smash-and-grab victory over Iceland.
Denmark were unlucky not to claim at least a point in that game however, while the tournament stagers have reached the final four of the last six instalments, so they should bounce back tonight with a half-time/full-time triumph at 11/8.
