A goalkeeping error from Etrit Berisha’s allowed Fabian Schar to head home the victor in only the fifth minute and the first-half sending-off of captain Lorik Cana only added to Albania’s problems.
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Granit and Taulant Xhaka made history when they faced each other at Euro 2016, but the Switzerland star admitted it was a odd feeling.
All of this was reflected in a huge United We Stand banner displayed before kick-off and the way the opposing players greeted each other like long lost brothers.
After the match, Granit talked about going up against his brother: “It was a very special moment for my family, it was rather freakish”. “After that, we played too much backward and allowed them back into the game”. Vladimir Petkovic was also culpable of wasting a chance but Albania’s Shkelzen Gashi was through on goal, it was nearly certain that he would go on to level the scores with five minutes left in the game.
It has to be said that expectations within the Albania camp are on the low side, with De Biasi not hopeful of reaching the knockout stages.
Granit may have won the individual duel with his brother, who was substituted just past the hour, but it was Schar who was the unlikely match-winner.
Despite Albania’s protests, Carlos Velasco Carballo had no choice but to show Cana a second yellow nine minutes from the interval.
Switzerland should have doubled their advantage when Haris Seferovic fired straight at the goalkeeper from the edge of the penalty before Albania nearly equalised through Armando Sadiku, who hit his effort straight at Yann Sommer after being playing in on goal by Elseid Hysaj.
Not so Granit. Arsenal’s new signing, sitting deeper in midfield alongside Valon Behrami, married steel with composure to keep Switzerland in control. “What I said to the players can be very important for the coming days”, he said. “I’ll still make a lot more mistakes”.
Switzerland were the dominating force before the break but were fragile when the Eagles attacked.
Xhaka added that it was a unusual feeling playing against his brother Taulant, who, unlike him, opted to represent Albania at worldwide level.
Fabian Schär heads home the only goal.
After nice build-up play from Odise Roshi and Taulant Xhaka, the latter midfielder soon spurned the opportunity after slicing Roshi’s lay-off high and wide of Yann Sommer’s goal. Berisha was decisive again on the 67th minute when for the second time he denied Seferovic who was released through on goal. Then came Cana’s dismissal.
Ex-Sunderland defender Cana was sent off for Albania after 37 minutes – Photo: Mark Leech / Offside. Several botched chances to level the scoring and gift them a point may come back to haunt them if they lose the next game to Albania in four days time.
Dzemaili hit the resulting free-kick against the foot of the post.
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The FC Basel starlet made an instant impact, expertly threading through Seferovic through on goal with little over 23 minutes remaining, only for Albania ‘keeper Berisha to make amends for his goalscoring error early on with a top drawer block. By the close there had been seven yellow cards and an occasion that will be remembered by the two nations but with mixed feelings from the Albanian side.
