Ex-Liverpool player Xherdan Shaqiri achieved a remarkable feat with his goal for Switzerland, in their 1-1 draw against Andy Robertson‘s Scotland at Euro 2024.
With Scotland needing at least a point to realistically stand a chance of getting through the group, they began Wednesday night’s match with a point to prove.
Just 13 minutes in, Steve Clarke’s side turned their early energy into a goal, scoring after a swift counter-attack that ended with Scott McTominay finishing from Callum McGregor’s pull-back.
The goal wasn’t without fortune, though, as McTominay’s shot was diverted beyond the goalkeeper thanks to Fabian Schar, whose attempted block instead found the net.
The lead only lasted 13 minutes, however, and it was former Liverpool player Shaqiri who drew Switzerland level with an incredible first-time finish from outside the box.
Despite not starting their last match, Shaqiri had the confidence to curl the ball into the top corner immediately after latching onto Anthony Ralston’s loose back pass.
The goal meant he has now scored in each of the last six major tournaments he has played at since Euro 2016 in France.
Xherdan Shaqiri is the only player to score at all of the last three European Championships and the last three World Cups.
— Richard Jolly ?? (@RichJolly) June 19, 2024
He may not be the only player to do that, though, come the end of Euro 2024. Should Cristiano Ronaldo net this summer, he will have scored in 11 consecutive tournaments, dating back to 2004.
Shaqiri’s first-half strike against Scotland was his 32nd in 124 Switzerland appearances. He is Switzerland’s second-most capped player of all time, three behind current captain Granit Xhaka.
The Swiss couldn’t build on Shaqiri’s strike against the Scots and after both teams missed great chances in the second half, the match finished 1-1.
Liverpool’s Robertson played well, getting up and down constantly on the left. His delivery was one of Scotland’s biggest threats and, after the match, he praised his team’s “aggression.”
He said on BBC One: “It was much more like us, aggressive on the front foot. We had our chances but so did they. It was an open game, two really good teams going at it.
'More like us. Much more like us' ?
Andy Robertson reacts to Scotland's 1-1 draw with Switzerland, which keeps their chances of knockout stage qualification alive ?#BBCEuros #Euro2024 pic.twitter.com/tN5TTsPxj9
— BBC Sport Scotland (@BBCSportScot) June 19, 2024
“That was more like us. We are a lot more happy with that performance, we maybe could have scored, but I’m sure they will say the same.
“We’ll take the draw and we’ve taken it into the last game, that’s all we can ask.”
Scotland now face a pivotal match against Dominik Szoboszlai‘s Hungary team to progress. They will need three points if they are to make it through as a third-place team.
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