It starts at 9 p.m. – the Swiss women play against Finland today for a place in the quarter-finals

The starting position is simple: If Switzerland wins or the match ends in a draw, the Swiss national team will advance to the quarter-finals for the first time. This is because, thanks to their 2-0 victory against Iceland, they have a better goal difference than Finland. But no one on the Swiss team wants to play for a draw. "We want to play forward, score goals, and give something back to the fans," said Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic on Wednesday. She could be selected to start at this European Championship for the first time. Only if the game is close will Swiss national coach Pia Sundhage intend to avoid taking any more risks in the final ten minutes in order to maintain a possible draw.

Finland is ranked lowest among the teams in Group A in the FIFA world rankings and was considered the weakest opponent before the tournament. However, their first two matches have shown that this is not the case: The women's team, known at home as "Helmarit" (snow owls), performed strongly and deserved better even against Norway (1:2). Once again, the Swiss face physically strong and fast opponents. "The danger comes from the middle," said Sundhage. "Hopefully we can hold onto the ball longer, then we have to defend less." Finland's women reached the semi-finals of the European Championship in 2005 and the quarter-finals in 2009. After a slump, women's football in Finland is now picking up momentum again.

It's already clear that Switzerland would finish second in their group if they advance; even if they're level on points with Norway, the Nordic women would have the edge thanks to their win in their head-to-head match. This means Switzerland would play in the quarterfinals next Friday in Bern. They'll likely face world champions Spain, who won their first two matches 5-0 against Portugal and 6-2 against Belgium. However, a win on Friday evening could put Italy ahead of Spain. They would then top the group and thus be Switzerland's opponents.

European Championship. Group A. 3rd Round. Thursday. Finland vs. Switzerland (in Geneva) 9:00 PM. Norway vs. Iceland (in Thun) 9:00 PM. Standings. 1. Norway 2/6. 2. Switzerland 2/3. 3. Finland 2/3. 4. Iceland 2/0.