FRANCE’s Eurostar was sensationally derailed as the world champions were beaten on penalties by Switzerland.
Kylian Mbappe’s fifth spot-kick was saved by keeper Yann Sommer to send the world champions packing.
Switzerland might have been edged out by England in their last shoot-out in the 2019 Nations League.
But they held their nerve on a night of incredible, nerve-shredding drama in Bucharest.
Now they must get themselves ready for Friday’s quarter-final clash with Spain in Saint Petersburg after being pushed to their physical and mental limits.
And the famous victory was no more than they deserved after they had spurned an earlier opportunity to secure victory from the spot.
Ricardo Rodriguez knew that his team were on the brink of one of the biggest shocks in European history when they were awarded a 55th-minute penalty while already a goal up.
But his tame effort was saved by French skipper Hugo Lloris and 241 seconds later they suddenly found themselves behind.
Two Karim Benzema goals in the space of two minutes followed by an absolute worldie from Paul Pogba looked to have turned the match decisively in France’s favour.
Yet the Swiss were still not finished and hit back with two goals in the last nine minutes to take the game into extra-time.
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And though both teams had chances to settle things in the added time, it was only when it went to penalties that they could finally be separated when Sommer plunged to his right to deny Mbappe.
Benzema, Kylian Mbappe, and Antoine Griezmann arrived in Bucharest on the back of a staggering 101 goals between them for club and country this season.
Yet for the first 55 minutes they played more like the three stooges as they struggled to find a way through a determined Swiss defence.
But all that changed in the blink of an eye when Griezmann and Mbappe combined to play in Benzema for a delicious finish over advancing keeper Yann Sommer.
And before the stunned Swiss had the chance to catch their breath, they were undone again when Griezmann played a one-two with Mbappe then hung a cross up for Benzema to head in from a yard out.
Suddenly the swagger was back from the French and Pogba put them in control with a stunning curler into the top corner from 25 yards, his first international goal since the 2018 World Cup final.
Yet it still wasn’t enough to see off the heroic Swiss, who simply refused to accept their fate and took this thrilling tie into extra time with two goals in the final ten minutes from Haris Seferovic and substitute Mario Gavranovic.
It left Didier Deschamps tearing his hair out with a bunch of players who appeared to believe that they only had to turn up to secure their place in the last eight.
Quite why they were so confident was something of a mystery considering their indifferent showing in their group games.
Maybe being made tournament favourites had gone to their heads and now the inquests will start in earnest.
Every time Mbappe received possession the Swiss swarmed around him like bees to a honeypot.
There were times when he found himself triple marked by anxious opponents clearly terrified by his electric pace.
And the longer he struggled to find a way through, the more Switzerland started to believe as they sought to make it to the quarter-finals of a major tournament for the first time since they hosted the World Cup back in 1954.
Even so, it was still a major shock when they snatched a 15th-minute lead with virtually their first attack of the night.
Steven Zuber’s cross from the left caught the French defence on its heels and Haris Seferovic took full advantage as he soared above Clement Lenglet to power a header past Hugo Lloris.
Deschamps’ decision to go with a three-man defence for the first time all year had clearly unsettled his team.
They almost got back on level terms when Adrien Rabiot fired one into the danger area but Sommer got just enough of a touch to carry the ball over the head of the incoming Benzema.
Mbappe smashed a 26th minute free-kick into the wall and then took out a cameraman behind the goal with his follow-up.
But it was only when Kingsley Coman was sent on as a half-time sub for Lenglet that France started to look at home in their familiar 4-3-3 formation.
Yet they still failed to convince at the back and paid the price when Zuber was brought down by Benjamin Pavard and ref Fernando Rapallini pointed to the spot after consulting the pitchside TV monitor.
But Rodriguez’s tame effort proved to be the turning point until Seferovic provided late drama with another towering header before Gavranovic pounced on Xhaka’s pass to level in the 90th minute.
Kingsley Coman hit the bar in the third minute of stoppage time and Olivier Giroud missed two great opportunities to swing it for the French in extra-time.
But it was Mbappe who will be left to carry the can as the Swiss celebrated probably the greatest result in their history.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
