SAINT-ETIENNE, France. June 25 (AP) – Poland became the first team to advance to the quarterfinals of UEFA EURO 2016 after it converted all its penalties to beat Switzerland 5:4 in a shootout.
Final score: Switzerland – Poland 1:1 (4:5 penalties)
Following a 1:1 draw Saturday at the Geoffroy Guichard stadium in the southeastern city of Saint-Etienne, Grzegorz Krychowiak stepped up to score the winning penalty.
Poland converted all five of its spot kicks. The only person to miss was Switzerland midfielder Granit Xhaka who fired his kick wide of the left hand post.
Jakub Blaszczykowski gave Poland the lead in the 39th minute with a low shot that went between the legs of Switzerland goalkeeper Yann Sommer. It was his second goal of the tournament.
Switzerland equalized with a spectacular 82nd minute bicycle kick from Xherdan Shaqiri to send the match into extra time. Allowed far too much space on the edge of the area, Shaqiri jumped with his back to the net before firing a left-footed shot inside the post.
In extra time, Switzerland had perhaps the best chance to score and avoid a shootout when substitute Eren Derdiyok came close in the 113th, but his header was knocked wide by Poland goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.
Poland will play either Croatia or Portugal in the quarterfinals on Thursday in Marseille.
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Switzerland – Poland 1:1 (0:1) (4:5 penalties)
Goals: Shaqiri 82′ – Błaszczykowski 39′
Penalties: 1:0 Lichtsteiner, 1:1 Lewandowski, 1:1 Granit Xhaka – miss, 1:2 Milik, 2:2 Shaqiri, 2:3 Glik, 3:3 Schär, 3:4 Błaszczykowski, 4:4 Rodríguez, 4:5 Krychowiak
Yellow carded: Schär, Djourou – Jędrzejczyk, Pazdan
Referee: Mark Clattenburg (England) Attendance: 38 842
Switzerland: 1. Yann Sommer – 2. Stephan Lichtsteiner, 22. Fabian Schär, 20. Johan Djourou, 13. Ricardo Rodríguez – 23. Xherdan Shaqiri, 11. Valon Behrami (77, 16. Gelson Fernandes), 10. Granit Xhaka, 15. Blerim Džemaili (58, 7. Breel Embolo), 18. Admir Mehmedi (70, 19. Eren Derdiyok) – 9. Haris Seferović
Poland: 22. Łukasz Fabiański – 20. Łukasz Piszczek, 15. Kamil Glik, 2. Michał Pazdan, 3. Artur Jędrzejczyk – 16. Jakub Błaszczykowski, 10. Grzegorz Krychowiak, 5. Krzysztof Mączyński (101, 6. Tomasz Jodłowiec), 7. Arkadiusz Milik, 11. Kamil Grosicki (104, 17. Sławomir Peszko) – 9. Robert Lewandowski
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