Good evening folks! After Costa Rica’s historic win over Italy in the early game, out attention shifts to Group E where Switzerland and France clash.

The two European sides sit level on three points after respective victories against Honduras and Ecuador.

Here are the team line-ups:

Switzerland: Benaglio, Lichtsteiner, Von Bergen, Inler, Seferovic, Xhaka, Behrami, Rodriguez, Mehmedi, Djourou, Shaqiri.

France: Lloris , Debuchy, Evra, Varane, Sakho, Cabaye, Valbuena, Giroud, Benzema, Matuidi, Sissoko.

What way do you see this one going? Give us your predictions to the game.

Karim Benzema is still floating around 8/1 or 9/1 for top goal-scorer, depending on your favoured dropping well. His goal to make it 3-0 the other night was pretty sweet:

Senderos on the bench with the Swiss Charlie O’Leary:

RTE RTE

Good news anthem fans, the PA system is working and both teams are in fine voice.

KICK OFF

1 min - ‘We’re in a feeling out period’ remarks Ray Houghton on commentary duty.

3 mins - Heavy touch from the recalled Giroud as a France attack peeters out. I’m sticking with that spelling of ‘peeters’ by the way.

5 mins - Odd that Benzema is bunked out onto the left wing after his double the other night. The Real Madrid striker cuts inside, however, and curls an effort just wide.

6 mins - Stoppage in play as Giroud, competing for a high ball, kicks Steve von Bergen in the cheek/eye socket. Looks nasty.

RTE RTE

12 mins - France making all the running so far. Cabaye aims for Saturn with a long range drives and nearly connects.

GOAL! Switzerland 0-1 France (Giroud ’16)

Sweet header from a corner.

GOAL!! Switzerland 0-2 France (Blaise Matuidi ’17)

Another! Blaise Matuidi rocks in another from a narrow angle after Behrami gifts France possession.

Here’s the first goal:

20 mins - Karim Benzema very nearly makes it 3-0 but heads over from six yards out.

This is the second goal:

26 mins - Swiss players in French box alert! Free-kick is whipped in after a whole minute of pushing and shoving. Goal…. but flagged offside.

28 mins - Shaqiri clatters into Cabaye in an act of Swiss aggression. Peter Collins gets excited as Giroud banana kicks an effort 10 yards over and 11 yards wide.

29 mins - Remember Packie Bonner’s parry to Schillaci? Hugo Lloris almost repeated the trick with a parry to the right but straight into the path of Shaqiri in the box. He makes up for it with a super fingertip save.

PENALTY TO FRANCE…

Djourou you mug.

MISS AND REBOUND MISS!!!

32 mins - Shades of Ian Harte/Kevin Kilbane at World Cup 2002 as Benzema misses his penalty, earned after going down under Djourou’s challenge, and Cabaye somehow crashes the rebound off the post from four yards out.

This is where Cabaye missed from:

RTE Player RTE Player

36 mins - Giroud clattered in the tackle there but still in enough pieces to demand a free-kick.

GOAL! Switzerland 0-3 France (Valbuena ’40)

Break from the French box, four touches and in the back of the Swiss net! Giroud squares to Valbuena to roof home from inside the six yard box.

42 mins - France go close again and the Swiss are it tatters. Houghton mentions the dreaded ‘cricket score’. Hitzfeld made two changes at half-time in their opening game and it paid off. Can he repeat the trick to the power of three?

45 mins - Injury time and Switzerland surely cannot wait for the break.

Half-time: Switzerland 0-3 France

45 mins - The Swiss players are out on the pitch early after no doubt getting a good talking to at half-time. There appears to be no way back for them but stranger things have happened.

Valon Behrami has been taken off for Napoli club mate Blerim Dzemaili.

47 mins - Sakho times his challenge on Mehmedi perfectly to win the ball inside his own box. Moments later, Inler doesn’t trouble Lloris with a long-range strike.

52 mins - Shaqiri sets off on a run on the left flank but is taken out by Sissoko and earns a free-kick. The set piece is put behind for a corner by Matuidi but it comes to nothing.

60 mins - Good build-up play from France with Valbuena again involved before Benzema gets a shot off.

Great tackle.

Goalscorer Giroud is going off with Paul Pogba, who started the win over Honduras, coming on to play in midfield.

Sakho has picked up an injury and has been withdrawn with Laurent Koscielny of Arsenal making his introduction.

GOAL! Switzerland 0-4 France (Benzema ’67)

And there’s a fourth. A great move sees new man Pogba pick out Benzema with the outside of his boot and the Real Madrid striker finishes through the legs of Benaglio to make up for his penalty miss. Poor defending from Senderos.

71 mins - Rodriguez with the corner for Switzerland but the attempted header is off-target.

Then France break and Patrice Evra finds himself in the opposing box but shoots wide.

GOAL! Switzerland 0-5 France (Sissokho 73′)

This is getting embarrassing for the Swiss. The ball is switched from one side of the pitch to the other and Newcastle midfielder Sissokho arrives late to find the bottom corner.

Here are goals four and five. The way both sides are playing at the moment, we could have a couple more before the end.

 
https://vine.co/v/MTXaupqdKTA

GOAL! Switzerland 1-5 France (Dzemaili 80′) 

Consolation for Switzerland, who win a free-kick a good 35 yards out and substitute Dzemaili manages to put it through the wall and past Lloris. Replays show Benzema lifting his leg to allow it past.

You had one job, wall…
https://vine.co/v/MTXZZt96Qrh

82 mins - Antoine Griezmann is on for Valbuena, who had a superb game.

GOAL! Switzerland 2-5 France (Xhaka 87′) 

They’ve got another one. Inler chips a great pass into the path of Xhaka and he takes the volley on first time to beat Lloris. Too little too late, it seems.

Full-time: Switzerland 2-5 France

Just as the full-time whistle goes, Karim Benzema sticks a volley into the top corner. It won’t count but it matters little as France claim the three points and all but assure their spot in the last 16.