Xhaka calm as Swiss close in on semis

Granit Xhaka believes Switzerland have "one foot in the door to the semi-finals" after Pierluigi Tami's team secured a second straight win in Group A at Iceland's expense.

The 18-year-old midfielder showed a precocious grasp of the footballer's arts both during and after Tuesday's 2-0 Aalborg Stadion victory. As well as being a tower of strength at the centre of Swiss operations, the tall and powerful teenager spoke like a true pro when he offered his peers' favourite caveat about his side's position of strength.

With Switzerland leading the group by three points from both Denmark and Belarus – their last opponents in the section on Sunday – Xhaka was circumspect in his assessment: "I guess we have one foot in the door to the semi-finals but we are taking it match by match, and I hope we can get a third win against Belarus."

The FC Basel 1893 player was nonetheless delighted with a team display that built nicely on the 1-0 defeat of the Danes, with the perfect start of Fabian Frei's first-minute goal embellished by Innocent Emeghara's late first-half clincher. "We began very well and wanted to score the early opener," he said. "We didn't stop playing football but continued pushing forward. Before half-time we were lucky to score the second one. After that, Iceland put us under a bit more pressure, but we were set up well defensively and won deservedly."

Remarkably Xhaka, who served as his coach's midfield factotum together with Frei, was making only his third Under-21 appearance – having also won his first senior cap against England at Wembley on 4 June. His club-mate Frei, loaned last season by Basel to FC St Gallen, could also afford to smile after a hugely influential showing. The hard-running 22-year-old not only scored inside the first minute, his slide-rule pass released Emeghara for the second and he even found time to clear Iceland's best attempt, from Kolbeinn Sigthórsson, off the line.

"Obviously I'm delighted," Frei said. "We won, I got an assist and even scored a goal, so that's just magnificent. We can look back on tonight with a smile and if we haven't qualified, then we will seal it at the weekend.

"Of course, they put more pressure on us when they were two down, but we also tried to score a third but just couldn't manage it. But the result is good." Frei also has a lucky omen in his favour: his father Markus was coach of the Switzerland team that won the UEFA European U17 Championship in Denmark in 2002. "I can't do better because dad won the title, but I think to equal his achievement wouldn't be bad."