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Switzerland v Poland background

Switzerland and Poland have both qualified for the knockout phase of a EURO for the first time, but Adam Nawałka's side may have reason to be more optimistic.

Yann Sommer leads Switzerland's celebrations after they qualified for the last 16
Yann Sommer leads Switzerland's celebrations after they qualified for the last 16 ©Getty Images

Switzerland and Poland have both qualified for the knockout phase of a UEFA European Championship for the first time, but Adam Nawałka's side may have reason to be more optimistic as they meet in Saint-Etienne.

Previous meetings
• Poland have had the better of the teams' ten encounters to date with the record W4 D5 L1. Switzerland's lone victory came in a 1976 friendly in Basel (2-1).

• The sides' most recent tussle was a 2-2 friendly draw in Wroclaw in November 2014, Fabian Frei scoring a late equaliser for Switzerland in a 2-2 draw after his team-mate Josip Drmic had put the visitors into an early lead. Artur Jędrzejczyk and Arkadiusz Milik scored in between for Poland.

• Their only competitive meetings were in qualifying for the 1980 UEFA European Championship, Poland winning 2-0 home and away.

EURO facts: Switzerland
• Switzerland have progressed from the group stage of a EURO for the first time in four attempts; their record in 12 finals games now reads W2 D4 L6.

• Switzerland have not made it through a knockout match at a major tournament in four attempts since overcoming Germany in a replay of a first-round game at the 1938 FIFA World Cup – which, like UEFA EURO 2016, was staged in France.

• Switzerland are undefeated at these finals (W1 D2) and are on a four-match unbeaten streak in all games (W2 D2). Their record in qualifying was W7 D0 L3, with two of those reversals coming against section winners England.

• This is Switzerland's first outing in Saint-Etienne. Two Swiss clubs have played UEFA fixtures at the stadium: FC La Chaux-de-Fonds drew 2-2 at AS Saint-Étienne in a 1964/65 European Champion Clubs' Cup preliminary round tie, while FC Basel 1893 – featuring EURO squad members Michael Lang and Breel Embolo – crashed 3-2 to Les Verts in this season's UEFA Europa League round of 32.

• This is Switzerland's first continental final tournament since co-hosting UEFA EURO 2008 with Austria.

©AFP/Getty Images

EURO facts: Poland
• Poland are appearing at their third straight EURO final tournament; prior to UEFA EURO 2016 they had never won a finals game (D3 L3), but here they have advanced through the group stage for the first time with a record of W2 D1.

• This is Poland's first match in Saint-Etienne. Three Polish clubs played UEFA away fixtures against St-Étienne: Legia Warszawa were 1-0 victors in a 1969 European Cup tie but both subsequent visitors – Ruch Chorzów in 1975 and Widzew Łódź in 1979 – lost without scoring.

• Poland have not conceded a goal in their last four games, their three clean sheets in France following a 0-0 friendly draw with Lithuania.

• Poland's greatest success on the international stage was winning bronze medals at the 1974 and 1982 World Cups.

• Robert Lewandowski was the top Polish scorer in qualifying with 13 goals, matching the competition record set by Northern Ireland's David Healy in UEFA EURO 2008 qualifying.

• Poland netted 33 goals during qualification – two more than the next most prolific country, England.

Coach and player links
• Current team-mates
Roman Bürki and Lukasz Piszczek (Borussia Dortmund 2015–)
Gelson Fernandes and Kamil Grosicki (Stade Rennais FC 2014–)