Israel scored an 88th-minute equaliser to grab a 1-1 draw with Switzerland in their European Championship qualifier in neutral Hungary on Wednesday to keep alive their hopes of reaching next year’s finals in Germany.
The Swiss were close to securing their spot in the finals, but a last-minute goal from Shon Weissman means they will need to defeat Kosovo this weekend to guarantee their qualification.
Switzerland, who have not lost a match, are now in first place in Group I with 16 points after eight games. However, they are only ahead of Romania in the standings based on goal difference. Israel is currently in third place with 12 points, and all three countries have two matches remaining.
In the 36th minute, Ruben Vargas scored a goal for Switzerland by heading in a cross from Edimilson Fernandes. They were on track for a win as he was unmarked at the back post.
Weisman scored the equalizing goal when Fernandes was unable to properly clear the ball. The Swiss full-back’s troubles were made worse when he received a red card in stoppage time for a clumsy foul.
Switzerland hit the goal frame twice during the game, with Noah Okafor’s attempt in the 19th minute being the first. Vargas managed to score off the rebound, but the goal was disallowed due to a foul on defender Sean Goldberg. Vargas was close to scoring again five minutes later, but his powerful shot hit the crossbar.
After the halftime break, Israel appeared to be in a stronger position. They had the opportunity to score an equalizer in the beginning of the second half when Anan Khalaili received a cross from Dor Turgeman, but his header hit the crossbar. Turgeman also attempted a daring long-range shot from his own half, causing Yann Sommer to rush back and save the ball from going over the crossbar.
The game was originally scheduled for last month, but was delayed due to security concerns in Israel caused by the conflict with Hamas. As a result, Israel will now play four games within nine days in order to finish their qualifying matches. They were defeated 1-0 by Kosovo on Sunday and will face Romania next at the Puskas Academy Arena, located on the outskirts of Budapest, on Saturday. Their final game will be against Andorra on Tuesday.
On Saturday, the Swiss will play against Kosovo in Basel and finish their campaign with a match against Romania on Tuesday.
Source: theguardian.com
