The round of 16 at Euro 2024 kicks off on Saturday evening as Switzerland face the holders Italy in Berlin.
These two sides came within whiskers of avoiding this tie completely given how their respective games played out on Matchday 3. Switzerland were excellent on Sunday night against Germany and were on course to win the group following a 1-0 win, but Niclas Fullkrug's late header saw Murat Yakin's side slip back down to second.
The Swiss have once again produced a sturdy group stage performance, exceeding the expectations of many.
Italy, meanwhile, struggled through their bout with a spirited Croatia and were set for a third-place finish in Group B having fallen behind in the second half. Substitute Mattia Zaccagni then channelled his inner Alessandro Del Piero with the last kick of the game to rescue a point for the Azzurri which saw them climb back up to second.
The result of these two last-gasp sequences in Saturday's last 16 clash at the Olympiastadion. Switzerland are aiming to record their first victory over the Italians since 1993 and set-up a potential quarter-final with England.
Here's 90min's preview of Switzerland vs Italy in the round of 16 at Euro 2024.
Switzerland vs Italy H2H Record (Last Five Games)
Current form (all competitions)
Switzerland | Italy |
|---|---|
Switzerland 1-1 Germany - 23/06/24 | Croatia 1-1 Italy - 24/06/24 |
Scotland 1-1 Switzerland - 19/06/24 | Spain 1-0 Italy - 20/06/24 |
Hungary 1-3 Switzerland - 15/06/24 | Italy 2-1 Albania - 15/06/24 |
Switzerland 1-1 Austria - 08/06/24 | Italy 1-0 Bosnia & Herzegovina - 09/06/24 |
Switzerland 4-0 Estonia - 04/06/24 | Italy 0-0 Turkey - 04/06/24 |
Country | TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
United Kingdom | BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport Website |
United States | fuboTV, Sling, TUDN.com, Univision NOW, Foxsports.com, TUDN App, ViX, FOX Sports App, Fox Sports 1, TUDN USA, Univision, SiriusXM FC |
Canada | CTV App, TVA+, TSN4, TVA Sports, CTV, TSN1 |
Yakin has an issue down the right flank with Silvan Widmer suspended for Saturday's game after he picked up his second booking of Euro 2024 against Germany.
The manager is unlikely to deviate away from his back three, so we should see Leonidas Stergiou replace Widmer.
There have been switches to Switzerland's frontline throughout the tournament, and we could see magic man Xherdan Shaqiri return to the XI for the round of 16. Dan Ndoye has been the only mainstay.
Switzerland predicted lineup (3-4-2-1): Sommer; Schar, Akanji, Rodriguez; Stergiou, Freuler, Xhaka, Aebischer; Shaqiri, Ndoye; Embolo.
Riccardo Calafiori, who teed up Zaccagni's equaliser against Croatia with a marauding run from defence, is suspended for Saturday's round of 16 tie after he picked up his second yellow card of the tournament.
Spalletti will likely return to a back four on Saturday and bring Gianluca Mancini into his backline.
There may be a few doubts over the status of Lorenzo Pellegrini after he was withdrawn at half-time on Monday night. Gianluca Scamacca could come back in for Mateo Retegui, while Federico Chiesa is a shoo-in to start down the right.
Italy predicted lineup (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Mancini, Bastoni, Dimarco; Jorginho, Barella, Frattesi; Chiesa, Scamacca, Raspadori.
Many projected the demise of Switzerland at Euro 2024, but Yakin's side have been characteristically steady in Germany this summer. They're well-drilled and tough to penetrate, with their core members all impressing.
Italy didn't exactly set the world alight in Group B and are fortunate to be playing in Saturday's game, but there have been positives, especially without possession. This Azzurri team is defensively sound and capable of winning the ball back high up the pitch thanks to their impressive man-oriented press.
Thus, we could be in for a bit of a slog in Berlin with a goal-fest unlikely. Both teams will impress without the ball, but neither boast the cutting edge in front of goal to run away with Saturday's game. It wouldn't be a surprise to see this one go all the way to penalties - a pressure cauldron Italy may handle better based on past experience.