Swiss and Belarus in control of own destiny

Switzerland and Belarus meet in their final UEFA European Under-21 Championship Group A game with both teams still with their destiny in their own hands.

• Switzerland registered their second successive victory in the tournament with a 2-0 defeat of Iceland in Aalborg on Tuesday. That result leaves them top of the section, three points clear of third-placed Belarus, who were beaten 2-1 by hosts Denmark in Aarhus.

• Switzerland are not yet through but a point would clinch a semi-final berth in first place and they would also progress with a one-goal defeat other than by 1-0 or 2-1. However, if they lose 1-0 or by two goals or more and Denmark beat Iceland, then Switzerland would finish third in a tie-break of results between the three sides equal on six points. If Switzerland lose 2-1 and Denmark win by one goal, Switzerland are through, but if Denmark win by more (other than by 2-0) then Switzerland would be out.

• Should Switzerland lose 2-1 and Denmark win 2-0 the two teams would be split according to their fair play ranking for the final tournament as they would be equal on all preceding criteria including qualifying coefficient. Should their fair play ranking be equal, there would be a drawing of lots.

• Belarus know a win against Switzerland would guarantee their progress, at the very least in a three-way head-to-head. The only way a win would not ensure Belarus first place would be if they prevail 1-0 and Denmark also gain victory, though they would still be at least second behind the hosts.

• If Belarus draw, they would need Denmark to lose in order to finish second. If Belarus lose, they would still go through if Iceland beat Denmark by a margin of one or two goals. If Iceland win 3-0, Belarus would be through only if they lost by one or two goals. Any bigger Iceland win, and Belarus could not afford to lose.

Match background

• Belarus and Switzerland's only previous U21 meetings came in qualifying for the 2000 finals; Belarus won their home game 1-0 in August 1999 but lost the return fixture 2-1 less than a month later at the Colovray Stadium, opposite UEFA's headquarters in Nyon.

• Members of the current squads featured as Belarus beat Switzerland 2-1 in the European U19 Championship qualifying round on 2 October 2008, goals from Dmitri Khlebasolov and Artem Salavei turning the game round after Alain Wiss's opener in Borisov.

• The teams were:
Switzerland: Klaus, Koch, Urkay, Büchli, Feltscher, Zuffi, Abrashi (Berisha 79), Wiss, Mehmedi, Basha (Schönbächler 63), Pasche (Wütrich 56).
Belarus: Voytsekhovich, Gavrilovich (Kharitonovich 69), Levitski, Skshynetski, Kozlovich, Khlebosolov, Mrinski (Yerchyk 89), Solovei, Baga, Politevich, Kugan (Barsukov 58).

• The countries met twice in U17 qualifiers. Belarus won 1-0 in 2003 while Switzerland were 2-0 victors in 2009.

• Their senior national sides were paired in UEFA EURO 2000 qualifying, Switzerland winning 1-0 away and 2-0 at home. Kubilay Türkyilmaz scored both goals in that second game.

• Belarusian and Swiss clubs have met in five UEFA club competition games, with each nation recording two wins and the remaining match drawn.

• Belarus coach Georgi Kondratyev played his first European game against Swiss opponents when his FC Dinamo Minsk side took on Grasshopper-Club in the 1983/84 European Champion Clubs' Cup. Dinamo won 1-0 at home and drew 2-2 in Berne, the striker hitting his first goal in UEFA club competition in that fixture.

Switzerland news

• Fabian Frei gave the Swiss the ideal start to their second game against Iceland with a goal in the first minute, and Carlsberg Sport Man of the Match Innocent Emeghara doubled their advantage five minutes before the break.

• Defender Gaetano Berardi, midfielder Granit Xhaka and forward Nassim Ben Khalifa would miss the semi-finals should Switzerland reach the last four and they pick up a booking against Belarus.

• Senior team coach Ottmar Hitzfeld gave the Under-21 side a short motivational talk before the opening match against Denmark.

• Coach Pierluigi Tami has praised his first-choice goalkeeper, saying: "Yann Sommer is for us what Manuel Neuer is for Germany."

• Xherdan Shaqiri told the Swiss press: "I love the ball. I need to touch it a huge amount during a game. I sincerely believe I was born to play football. It's true I have an unusual game. I try things others almost never try."

• While some of the squad travelled 50km into Aalborg to do some sightseeing last Sunday – the team's only day off so far in Denmark – Shaqiri remained at the hotel to play table tennis and table football, the squad's favourite pastimes. "I enjoy the calm here in Hobro," he said. "It's definitely one of the reasons for our success."

• Fabian Lustenberger's girlfriend, Monique, is expecting the couple's first baby in August.

Belarus news

• Belarus were beaten 2-1 by hosts Denmark in their second group game. Dmitri Baga gave them a 20th-minute lead, but a 22nd-minute Christian Eriksen penalty and a superb second from Nicolai Jørgensen with 19 minutes left lifted the hosts above Belarus in the section.

• Belarus were in disappointed but determined mood at Wednesday training following the previous day's loss to Denmark. "It's obvious our mood is far from being perfect, but we, the whole team, need to focus on the positives and then everything will be fine," said Baga.

• Kondratyev has fielded the same starting XI in both games so far but, with Nikita Bukatkin and Sergei Politevich suspended, will be forced into making changes on Saturday.

• Pavel Nekhaychik (knee) and Mikhail Gordeychuk (ankle ligaments) are both fighting to be fit in time to face Switzerland.