Forget glamour, it’s all about grit

Switzerland and Croatia meet for the first time on Sunday and although the game in Leiria is the first in Euro 2004 Group B it is already seen by both sides as a ‘‘must-win’’ match. With defending champions France and England waiting in the wings, the group outsiders know that three points from Sunday’s fixture is essential to give them a realistic chance of progressing to the last eight.

Croatia are the in-form team having chalked up three warm-up wins, the most recent being an impressive 2-1 success in Denmark. Croatia earned their place in the finals more on the back of a parsimonious defence as they conceded only four goals in finishing second to Bulgaria in their group. They edged past Slovenia 2-1 on aggregate in the playoffs, both goals coming from pony-tailed striker Dado Prso. Prso continued to score regularly for Monaco in their run to the Champions League final and is the key to his country’s chances of emulating their only European Championship appearance in 1996, when they lost in the quarter-finals. (Reuters)