Euro 2016

[monks data]

European Championship | Qualifiers

Nov 15, 2014 at 7.45pm UK

Switzerland Switzerland
4-0
Lithuania Lithuania

Drmic (66'), Schar (68'), Shaqiri (80', 90')

FT(HT: 0-0)

HT Report

Match Report

Football

Switzerland turn it on in second half to beat Lithuania

By Joe Fish, Reporter

Published: November 15 2014 | 21:37

Last updated: November 17 2014 | 10:29

Xherdan Shaqiri scores two of four second-half goals for Switzerland as they beat Lithuania 4-0 in Basel to record consecutive Euro 2016 qualifying victories.

Four second-half goals saw Switzerland beat Lithuania 4-0 to record their second successive victory in Euro 2016 qualifying.

An own goal got the hosts going in Basel before Fabian Schar and an Xherdan Shaqiri double eventually made it a comfortable evening for Vladimir Petkovic's side.

Lithuania's forward Deivydas Matulevicius (R) and Switzerland's midfielder Valon Behrami vies for the ball during an Euro 2016 Group E qualifying match on November 15, 2014 © Getty Images

It was the visitors to who dominated possession and had the clearest chances of a dull first half.

Deividas Matulevicius broke into the box only to fire a powerful left-footed shot wide on four minutes, and they came closer still when Tadas Kijanskas rose highest in the box and headed narrowly over.

Switzerland have won only one of their three Group E matches to date and struggled to fashion opportunities until Bayern Munich winger Shaqiri struck just off target from 20 yards on 44 minutes.

The home side upped the ante after the interval as Lithuania keeper Giedrius Arlauskis was forced into saves from Haris Seferovic and Admir Mehmedi within 10 minutes of the restart.

Mehmedi then struck the post as the Swiss continued to knock on the door, and it was eventually opened for them as Arlauskis bundled a cross from Shaqiri into his own net on 66 minutes.

Lithuania's resolve had been broken and Schar doubled Switzerland's lead two minutes later by thrashing home a Valon Behrami knockdown from a corner, and then Shaqiri got in on the act with a late double.

Switzerland's defender Fabian Schaer (2ndR) celebrates after scoring the team's second goal during the Euro 2016 Group E qualifying match against Lithuania on November 15, 2014 © Getty Images

The reported Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur target headed Josip Drmic's cross home on 80 minutes and then beat Arlauskis again in the final minute when the same player supplied him for a close-range finish.

The result takes Switzerland onto six points from four games, level with Lithuania in the Group E table.