France vs Switzerland UEFA EURO 2020 preview: where to watch, TV channels and live streams, team news, form guide

France take on Switzerland in the UEFA EURO 2020 round of 16 in Bucharest on Monday 28 June at 21:00 CET.

What's the story?

The world champions set out their stall by beating Germany 1-0 in their group opener and ended topping a tough group despite draws against Hungary and Portugal. You sense there is more to come from France, though, with Paul Pogba impressing, Kylian Mbappé gathering in menace and Karim Benzema slotting seamlessly back into their attacking unit.

However, when it comes to form players and EURO pedigree then Xherdan Shaqiri is near the top of any list. The gifted midfielder evoked memories of his stunning round of 16 strike against Poland in 2016 during Switzerland's decisive 3-1 victory against Turkey. It was timely inspiration following a 1-1 draw with Wales and 3-0 defeat against Italy.

Where to watch the game on TV

Fans can find their local UEFA EURO 2020 broadcast partner(s) here.

Line-ups

France: Lloris; Varane, Lenglet, Kimpembe; Pavard, Pogba, Kanté, Rabiot; Griezmann; Mbappé, Benzema
Misses next match if booked: Griezmann, Hernández, Kimpembe, Lloris, Pavard

Switzerland: Sommer; Elvedi, Akanji, Rodríguez; Widmer, Freuler, Xhaka, Zuber; Shaqiri; Embolo, Seferović
Misses next match if booked: Embolo, Gavranović, Mbabu, Schär, Xhaka

Reporters' views

David Crossan, France reporter: Although France are satisfied to have come through the toughest group of all, they know they'll have to shift through the gears if they're to add the EURO trophy to their world crown. Benzema's confidence has been boosted by his double against Portugal, but Les Bleus are still seeking the right formula to make things click in attack. They're so good and there's so much belief in the squad that I expect them to produce their best performance of the tournament.

Vieri Capretta, Switzerland reporter: There is no pressure for Switzerland. With no great obligation to make it past the world champions, the mood has lightened in the team's training camp, but the players and coach are focused and have a game plan which they hope will at least give France a very tough night. It involves a high tempo, pressure, doubling-up and then being clinical on the break. Be perfect at the back, take any chances that come: that’s the formula for a Swiss success.

View from the camps

Didier Deschamps, France coach: "They’re a well-structured team and they have good attacking potential with [Haris] Seferović, [Breel] Embolo and [Xherdan] Shaqiri. We must not underestimate them and it's a knockout game so we’ll have to do everything we can to ensure we have smiles on our faces at the end of the match. The heatwave in Budapest [during France's final group stage game] had an impact. We’ve had an extra day between games, five rather than four, while our opponents have had eight days, which is better. It’s hot here too, but a bit easier to cope with."

Presnel Kimpembe, France defender: "We know it's a new competition. It's now like a cup competition, and we can't make any mistakes, otherwise it's the end. So, obviously we're all looking forward to it but we're also very focused, and aware of what is going to happen, what can happen. We don't see ourselves as the favourites. We are going to take this round of 16 match against Switzerland very seriously as they won't make things easy for us."

Vladimir Petković, Switzerland coach: "Against a side like France, if we both give 100%, what we do won't be enough. They'll have to give 80% and we need to make the most of it. With tough experiences you gain experience. In the EURO 2016 round of 16 game against Poland, we deserved to progress, and with penalty shoot-outs, you need to be lucky. We learned from that game, and also from the [1-0 round of 16] defeat against Sweden at the 2018 World Cup. We have just one aim: play well against France and try to get through."

Ricardo Rodriguez, Switzerland defender: "We need to stay focused and create chances. Everyone thinks that France will win and perhaps that's an advantage for us. We won't have many chances, but when we do have them, we need to score."

Breel Embolo, Switzerland forward: "For me, personally, it doesn't really matter [if I score or not]. The main thing is that we get into the next round. I'm generally feeling very good about the whole set-up. We have a very good team. Even in the qualification stage, it was always about teamwork."

Granit Xhaka, Switzerland captain: "We want to go as far as possible, this side is ready to write history. Tomorrow is a huge night for us, for all of Switzerland. But we can only write history if we give 120%. We need to be careful against France, they have world-class players. We need to be clever. Sitting deeper doesn't necessarily mean we're defensive, we want to be dynamic, show our strengths. We need to focus on ourselves and on our football."

Form guide (most recent first)

France: DDWWWW

Switzerland: WLDWWW