Xhemaili’s late leveller floors Finland and sends Switzerland into quarter-final | OneFootball

Geneva may never have known a din like it. Any pretensions of lakeside refinement were blasted into the sky when Riola Xhemaili, brought on as a late throw of the dice, showed the instinct Switzerland had been missing all night. They had only needed a point to continue local interest at Euro 2025 but found themselves trailing to a gutsy Finland as the match entered its second minute of added time.

Then the tireless Geraldine Reuteler skewed a cross-shot into the six-yard box; Xhemaili was placed to capitalise and host nation politesse was the last thing on anybody’s minds from thereon.

The stands pulsated and perhaps this was the moment a country that has taken a friendly, generous interest in its home tournament catapults itself into a full-on embrace. Maybe a hugely likable, manifestly flawed Swiss team has finally made its point and the anticipation will surely ramp up to fever pitch in the eight days until their first ever quarter-final. Never mind that their opponents will almost certainly be Spain: an evening of such magnitude deserves bathing in a while longer.

It even made an impression on Pia Sundhage, who may have thought she had seen it all during her 50 years in football but has never enjoyed a more satisfying draw than this. “It was the most exciting,” she said. “These kinds of moment make you think ‘I can go on for ever and ever’. It’s inspiring to be around these players and staff members.”

Sundhage’s young side are a scintillating proposition in full flow but for long periods it seemed familiar failings, evident in their opening-night defeat against Norway, would scupper them. They had raced out of the blocks, roared on by the most vibrant and partisan atmosphere this summer has mustered so far.

Viola Calligaris should have paved the way for a smooth ride but miscued an 11th-minute bicycle kick in front of goal. The Barcelona prodigy Sydney Schertenleib tested Anna Koivunen but by half-time the early fire had been dampened.

Had their goalkeeper, Livia Peng, not made a brilliant stop from Eva Nyström’s deflection then Finland would have gone in ahead. Marko Saloranta’s players had worked their way into the game, presumably thinking the chance they needed would come. Oona Siren began to call the shots in midfield and there was a sense Switzerland could drift into trouble.

They stepped up the pace with help from the substitute Leila Wandeler, one of three teenaged forwards who began the second half. Nobody could doubt Sundhage’s desire to open up the throttle even though risks were not obligatory. Wandeler shot over and created a half chance for Smilla Vallotto; a sense of abandon had returned but the sting that followed resembled a story as old as time.

A silent scream reverberated when Calligaris hacked down Emma Koivisto, who had profited from strong work by Sanni Franssi near the right byline.

Natalia Kuikka converted the penalty despite being asked to wait an eternity and Finland had their moment. Calligaris had, at that point, embodied Switzerland’s weaknesses at both ends but those concerns were soon to be banished.

Xhemaili’s smart finish capped an old-fashioned kitchen sink job, the crowd recovering from its shock to suck the ball towards Koivunen’s goal. It left some of Finland’s players, who had lacked the fluency of their own narrow reverse against the Norwegians, in tears. “It’s such an empty and painful feeling,” said an exhausted-looking Saloranta.

By contrast, Switzerland’s hearts are full. “We showed the whole world what Swiss people can do,” a beaming Xhemaili said. They left coursing with belief that further revelations will follow.

Header image: [Photograph: Stéphane Mahé/Reuters]