The margin of victory looked set to be greater when Lorik Cana received a second yellow card nine minutes before half-time, but Albania dug in well and by the final whistle the Swiss were hanging on.
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Switzerland fully deserved the three points in Lens, but their failure to kill the game off in the second half nearly came back to haunt them.
Albania coach Gianni De Biasi hopes to emulate English Premier League champions Leicester City by making the “impossible” happen and disproving their underdog status when they meet Switzerland in Group A on Saturday.
Albania goalkeeper Etrit Berisha ventured off his line to try and claim Xherdan Shaqiri’s corner but was beaten to the delivery by Schar, who got Switzerland’s Group A campaign off to a winning start.
Albania suffered defeat in their opening game of Euro 2016 on Saturday, falling to a 1-0 loss to Switzerland in Lens.
“It’s a pity”, said Cana, who had been looking forward to a return to Marseille, where he used to play, for the clash with France.
The Watford midfielder, who is playing in his fifth major global tournament, also showcased his qualities on the ball at times in Lens as the Swiss were victorious in an opening European Championship match for the first time. “We both gave everything for our countries, though I’m a bit happier”.
In just 90 minutes of football against Albania, he had already proven that he was one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.
It was nearly 2-0, but Blerim Dzemaili’s deflected free kick thumped the base of the upright.
Vladimir Petkovic’s team were given a scare when Sadiku came close to latching onto a loose touch from Johan Djourou inside the box, and they responded through Seferovic, who was again kept out by Berisha. Haris Seferovic held the ball up well but three times missed clear opportunities to double the lead, and it took two stunning saves from Yann Sommer to deny Albania a shock point.
Switzerland have started the game on the front foot and an excellent move ended with Shaqiri seeing a threatening cross diverted away for a corner.
First change of the game came in in the 62nd minute, with Ergys Kace replacing Taulant Xhaka.
Taulant blasted a shot wide in the first half, while Granit emulated him in the second.
However, the numerical disadvantage did not adversely affect Albania who had a number of chances to equalise in a gutsy display.
“We didn’t have a fortunate game with the key incidents”, said De Biasi.
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Albania’s Armando Sadiku in action during the Euro 2016 Albania v Switzerland match at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis, Lens, France, June 11, 2016.
