Euro 2016: Switzerland 0-0 France - 5 talking points

Paul Pogba didn’t score for France but was their best player

France and Switzerland played out a scoreless draw in their third and final group stage encounter in Euro 2016 at Lille to ensure both teams’ safe passage into the round of 16. Paul Pogba and substitute Dimitri Payet hit the woodwork for the tournament hosts, while Yann Sommer made three impressive saves to keep his side’s clean sheet intact.

Both teams knew that avoiding defeat was the most important result as they look ahead to the next round of fixtures. Switzerland, thanks to the draw, made it through to the knockout stage of the competition for the first tie in their history. 

Here are some of the talking points of the game at Lille:

1) Paul Pogba takes centre-stage

One man who really had the incentive to play in top gear was France’s starlet Paul Pogba. He has been the subject of criticism from the French media following a poor display in their opening game against Romania – a performance which saw him subsequently dropped from the starting lineup in the game against the Albanians.

He silenced all his critics with a devastating display in midfield, covering every blade of grass and making the Swiss sweat in an attempt to dispossess him. He also contributed defensively by making a goal-line clearance early in the game. It was a performance typical of the Paul Pogba at Juventus.

He had three good opportunities to score in the first half. Two were saved by Yann Sommer, while a third – an unstoppable shot – rattled the crossbar. He may have hit his best form at just the right time for Didier Deschamps’ side.