Group B: Russia v Slovakia, 5pm, beIN Sports Max 1-4
Russia coach Leonid Slutsky is backing his team’s fans to behave themselves in Wednesday’s game against Slovakia and avoid his side being expelled from the European Championship.
"We are sure [our fans] will not do the same, they will not give any reasons to disqualify our team," Slutsky said through an interpreter Tuesday, shortly after Uefa said Russia will be sent home if there is any repeat of the violence witnessed in Saturday's game against England.
• Report: Russia handed suspended disqualification from Euro 2016 over 'crowd disturbances'
Uefa’s ruling came after Russia fans attacked England supporters at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille following a 1-1 draw that had been overshadowed by three days of clashes.
“We are sure we are not going to be kicked out,” Slutsky said. “There is not going to be any injustice.”
Russia, which was also charged over fan racism and fireworks being set off during the game, has been fined €150,000 (Dh618,163) by Uefa. Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko said there will be no appeal against the decision as a formal protest would make “no sense”.
Group A: Romania v Switzerland, 8pm, beIN Sports Max 1-4
Switzerland and new Arsenal signing Granit Xhaka go in hunt of a second victory in Euro 2016 on Wednesday against a Romania side fighting for survival.
Romania came close to frustrating France in the tournament-opening match before Dimitri Payet’s sublime winner gave the French a last-gasp 2-1 win.
The Swiss meanwhile had to fight before Fabien Schaer's forceful header secured a 1-0 win over 10-man Albania.
• Switzerland 'should have scored more' but Fabian Schar bails them out against 10-man Albania
Schaer, the Hoffenheim defender, makes a habit of scoring for the national side: his decisive goal on Saturday was his sixth in 21 appearances.
Victory at Parc des Princes would almost certainly guarantee Switzerland a ticket for the last 16, and they will not want to be facing France in Lille on Sunday after a defeat to the Romanians.
But Schaer said his teammates had taken note that coach Anghel Iordanescu’s team were unlucky to lose to the French.
“We watched France against Romania, and Romania matched them for the majority of the game,” he said. “We know we’ll have to up our game to beat them.”
Goalkeeper Yann Sommer urged his teammates to throw caution to the wind. “One point will not be enough for us to qualify,” he said.
Romania’s Nicolae Stanciu said although his team have fewer players in Europe’s top leagues, they were a match for the Swiss.
“I think we are at the same level,” the talented Steaua Bucharest midfielder said.
Group A: France v Albania, 11pm, beIN Sports Max 1-4
In a bid to add more speed and urgency to his team, France coach Didier Deschamps could make tactical changes for Wednesday’s European Championship match against Albania.
France were sluggish for most of the 2-1 win over Romania in its Euro 2016 opener, and only really picked up the tempo midway through the second half when Deschamps replaced midfielder Paul Pogba and forward Antoine Griezmann with speedy wingers Kingsley Coman and Anthony Martial.
• Ian Hawkey: Paul Pogba, like Platini and Zidane before him, a Juventus man expected to deliver success for France
Deschamps could rest Pogba and Griezmann against Albania and ditch his favoured 4-3-3 for a more dynamic 4-2-3-1 formation, with Martial and Coman supporting striker Olivier Giroud. Attacking midfielder Dimitri Payet could then be shifted from the left to a No 10 playmaker’s role behind Giroud.
Against an Albania side that is likely to sit back and counterattack, the formation looks threatening because it allows France to play with a more direct approach. It also frees Payet to find central positions to unlock Albania with through balls to Giroud, or behind their fullbacks for the wingers.
