France were dumped out of the European Championships after a penalty shootout defeat against Switzerland earlier tonight.
The world champions were leading 3-1 with just 15 minutes left to play, but the Swiss managed to stage a sensational comeback in normal time and win the game in the shootout.
Here at Anytime football, we look at the five major talking points from tonight’s contest.
Karim Benzema made his mark for France
The Real Madrid striker returned to the international fold after six years, and he certainly made his mark on the tournament.
The 32-year-old will exit the competition as the second top scorer with four goals in four matches so far.
Karim Benzema scored two second-half goals in quick succession to put France ahead after they went down to a goal from Haris Seferovic on the 15th minute.
The experienced striker put on an impressive performance in terms of link up and chance creation as well. He will be devastated to exit the tournament at this stage.
Paul Pogba was France’s best player tonight
The Manchester United midfielder was simply sensational at the heart of the French midfield tonight.
He managed to control the tempo of the game, and he kept on creating numerous chances for his teammates throughout the game.
Paul Pogba chipped in with one of the best goals of the tournament as well to put his side 3-1 up with just 15 minutes left to play
The 28-year-old has had a very impressive tournament so far, and he will feel let down by his teammates.
Kylian Mbappe is lacking in confidence
There is no doubt that the French international is one of the most exciting players in world football, and he was sensational for his country during the 2018 World Cup.
He had an impressive season with Paris Saint-Germain as well season, but the 22-year-old lacks sharpness and confidence right now.
It has been a mediocre tournament for Kylian Mbappe is so far. Tonight’s performance sums up his struggles. He missed a glorious opportunity to win the game for France in extra time.
Furthermore, the PSG superstar stepped up to take the 5th penalty in the shootout for his country, and his miss sent Switzerland through to the quarter-finals.
Granit Xhaka leading by example for Switzerland
The Swiss international has been heavily criticized for his club performances this past season. Still, he was simply outstanding for his country tonight, and Granit Xhaka is one of the main reasons why Switzerland have managed to secure their place in the last eight of the competition.
Not only did he put in a sensational performance in the midfield in terms of recycling the possession and helping out his teammates defensively, but he also managed to create the 90th-minute equalizer scored by Mario Gavranovic as well.
Furthermore, the Arsenal midfielder was seen delivering a passionate team talk ahead of the penalty shootout, and his speech certainly motivated his teammates to put in a quality display.
The Swiss international was awarded the man of the match trophy after the game, and he richly deserved it.
Incredible show of character from Switzerland
Switzerland were eliminated from the round of 16 during the 2016 European Championships after a penalty shootout against Poland, and that result would have played at the back of their mind tonight.
However, the likes of Yann Sommer managed to step up and deliver a defining performance in the shootout today.
Switzerland were losing the game 3-1 in normal time, and they did exceptionally well to get back into the game with two late goals from Seferovic and Gavranovic.
Few would have expected the underdogs to win tonight, but Switzerland have shown that they can be a force to be reckoned with because of their mental fortitude.
