End of Game, 5-2 France
France takes all three points and sits atop Group E with six points through two games. The French would clinch a spot in the knockout stage of the tournament with an Ecuador loss or draw against Honduras on Friday.
90th Minute, 5-2 France: We will have three minutes of added time.
87th Minute, 5-2 France: Xhaka hits a half-volley past Lloris, and the Swiss are now trailing by three goals. A beautiful goal for the Swiss, who have shown an impressive amount of fight and character in this second half.
85th Minute, 5-1 France: Shaqiri hits a shot from about 30 yards out that forces Lloris to make a diving save.
81st Minute, 5-1 France: France will not finish this game with a clean sheet. Blerim Dzemaili sent a free kick through the French wall and past the diving Lloris. Benzema lifted his leg up to deflect the ball, but he missed it.
76th Minute, 5-0 France: Valbuena’s shot from eight yards out is denied by Benaglio, who then made a point-blank save on a header from Benzema. France is attacking the Swiss net with incredible determination.
72nd Minute, 5-0 France: This game is getting out of hand. France has taken a 5-0 lead with a goal from Sissoko. Benzema gets credit for an assist.
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69th Minute, 4-0 France: Benzema has finally scored! The French striker converted a half-volley that went through the legs of Benaglio and into the Swiss net. He’s now tied with Germany’s Thomas Muller and Dutch stars Robi van Persie and Arjen Robben for the goal scoring lead at this World Cup.
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66th Minute, France 3-0: France has made a center back switch as Sakho departs and Laurent Koscielny comes on to the field.
65th Minute, France 3-0: Mehmedi sends a right-footed chip over the bar as Hugo Lloris bravely charged toward him. It was one of the best scoring chances of the day for the Swiss.
62nd Minute, France 3-0: Defensive midfielder Paul Pogba has replaced Giroud. It looks like French manager Didier Deschamps is looking to protect this lead for the last half hour of play.
60th Minute, France 3-0: Valbuena sets up Benzema for a shot at the edge of the penalty box, but it’s blocked by a Swiss defender and out of play for a French corner kick.
53rd Minute, France 3-0: The Swiss earn a corner kick and head the ball over the crossbar for a French goal kick. The Swiss haven’t executed well on set pieces so far.
51st Minute, France 3-0: Sissoko gives away a free kick about 15 feet from the corner flag.
46th Minute, France 3-0: The second half is underway!
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End of First Half. France 3-0
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42nd Minute, 3-0 France: Valbuena nearly scored again, but his shot from around the penalty spot was kicked right at Benaglio.
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40th Minute, 3-0 France: France has scored on the counter attack after a failed Swiss corner kick.
Giroud made a menacing run down the left side of the pitch and sent a perfectly placed low-driven cross into the penalty box that Valbuena capitalized on for a 3-0 France lead. It was horrible defending by the Swiss.
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32nd Minute, 2-0 France: Benaglio makes a brilliant save on Benzema’s penalty shot, and then Cabaye fires the rebound attempt off the crossbar despite having a wide open net. It was a horrendous miss by the French midfielder.
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31st Minute, 2-0 France: Benzema dribbles to the byline, and he’s clipped by Djourou, earning France a penalty kick.
30th Minute, 2-0 France: Xherdan Shaqiri fired a shot on Lloris, who made the initial save and then another on a rebound attempt by the Swiss midfielder. Switzerland is starting to be more assertive and poised with the ball.
27th Minute, 2-0 France:Â The Swiss nearly got one back, but its goal was wiped out due to offside.
24th Minute, 2-0 France: Benzema makes a long run into the penalty box, but his shot is saved by Benaglio. France is dominating the game right now. The Swiss need a goal quick, or this match could get away from them before halftime.
18th Minute, 2-0 France: Matuidi has given Les Bleus a 2-0 advantage. He took a pass from Benzema, dribbled into the penalty box and beat Swiss goalkeeper Diego Benaglio to the near post. Benaglio should have done better. He gave the French midfielder way too much room on the near side.
GIF via Reddit
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17th Minute, 1-0 France: France has taken the lead! Olivier Giroud scored on a brilliant header off a corner kick.
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16th Minute, 0-0: Giroud sent a low-driven cross into the box looking for Benzema but Djourou defends it well and clears it for a corner kick.
12th Minute, 0-0: Valbuena is unable to find Benzema in the penalty box. The clearance fell to Cabaye, who skied a shot well over the crossbar for a Swiss goal kick. France is enjoying a bit more possession than its opponent at the moment.
8th Minute, 0-0: Giroud fouls Swiss center back Steve Von Bergen, who suffered a head injury when Giroud’s cleat struck him in the face. He appeared to have a bloody nose and possibly a concussion, which resulted in him being substituted by Philippe Senderos.
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5th Minute, 0-0: Karim Benzema curls a shot that flies just outside the right post. He’s not lacking confidence and will shoot whenever the opportunity is present.
1st Minute, 0-0: The game is underway!
2:35 p.m. ET: Starting lineups
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2:10 p.m. ET: France and Switzerland will play Friday in Brazil with an opportunity to take a commanding lead in Group E at the 2014 World Cup.
Both teams opened group stage play with victories, and Friday’s winner would take a giant step toward securing a spot in the Round of 16.
French striker Karim Benzema will be the focus of the Swiss defense after scoring two goals against Honduras on Sunday. He’s one of the best forwards in the world and his teammates will look to get him the ball in the attacking third of the field as much as possible.
Switzerland will need accurate passing and active runs to penetrate a strong French defense that includes world-class defensive midfielder Paul Pogba and elite goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
Check back to this blog at 2:30 p.m. ET for live score updates, highlights and analysis.
