Switzerland entered the last 16 of Euro 2024 after Xherdan Shaqiri’s wonder strike secured a 1-1 draw against Scotland on Wednesday.
Murat Yakin’s side chased down Scott McTominay’s early goal, which Swiss defender Fabian Schaer sharply saved.
However, Shaqiri scored one of his goals of the tournament so far when the former Liverpool striker punished Anthony Ralston’s poor back pass with a superb curling effort from 20 yards.
Even with their glory in Cologne, the Swiss are second in Group A with four points, two behind Germany, after the hosts beat Hungary 2-0 on Wednesday.
Switzerland, who beat Hungary 3-1 in their opening match, are mathematically uncertain of making the knockout stages but are in a strong position in the final game against Germany.
The Swiss have reached the finals in the last five majors.
The best four third-placed teams advance to the last 16, so Scotland continues into the finals of a major tournament for the first time.
Steve Clarke’s side restored their pride with a fighting display that erased the bitter taste of a miserable 5-1 defeat to Germany in their tournament opener.
Scotland has just one win from their last 11 games, but a historic last-16 finish remains a possibility if they can improve their goal difference with a big win against Hungary.
Yakin walked onto the field an hour before kick-off and waved at the red wall of Swiss fans to cheer them on, but Scotland overcame the first wave of emotion.
After the humiliating defeat in Munich, Scottish fans were desperate for signs of improvement, however small, and winning the first corner of the tournament gave the Tartan Army a boost.
An untimely mistake by Switzerland led Scotland captain Andrew Robertson to open a wide break that led to the lead in the 13th minute.
Callum McGregor’s clever overlap gave him space in the Swiss penalty area, and he met McTominay’s shot which went straight to goalkeeper Yann Sommer before Schaer put out a futile foot and steered it into his net.
If there was anything other than luck in Scotland’s opening, it didn’t start when Ralston equalized for the Swiss in the 26th minute.
Killing himself without looking back, Ralston sent Shaqiri clean through, and the 32-year-old caressed a shot from the edge of the area into the top corner. He became the only player to score in the last three European Championships and three World Cups.
Spurred on by Shaqiri’s magic, Switzerland gained momentum and Dan Ndoye’s curler produced a fine save from Angus Gunn.
Gunn saved well from Shaqiri’s powerful shot and Ndoye wasted a golden chance to give Switzerland the lead when he headed wide with only the keeper to save.
Scotland lost Kieran Tierney to serious injury but almost took the lead when Grant Hanley’s header from Robertson’s free-kick hit the post.
In a tight final, Switzerland’s Zeki Amdouni was inches wide, but both sides were happy with the point.
