The round of 16 at Euro 2024 kicks off on Saturday evening as Switzerland take on hosts Italy in Berlin.
These two teams have come out of this group’s avoidance given how their respective games played out on Matchday 3. Switzerland were in good form on Sunday night against Germany and were on course to win the group following a 1-0 victory, but Niclas Fullkrug’s late goal. he saw Murat Yakin’s side relegated to second place.
The Swiss once again produced a strong performance in the group stage, exceeding many expectations.
Meanwhile, Italy struggled against a fiery Croatia and are set to finish third in Group B as they trailed in the second half. Substitute Mattia Zaccagni then headed home Alessandro Del Piero with the last kick of the game to salvage a point for the Azzurri which saw them move up to second place.
The result of these last-minute sequences in the last 16 on Saturday at the Olympiastadion. Switzerland are aiming to record their first win over the Italians since 1993 and set up a quarter-final against England.
Here it is 90 min preview of Switzerland vs Italy in the round of 16 at Euro 2024.
Switzerland vs Italy H2H Record (Last Five Matches)
Current form (all competitions)
|
in 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 |
|
The country |
TV channel/live streaming |
|---|---|
|
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 |
App for CTV, TVA+, TSN4, TVA Sports, CTV, TSN1 |
Yakin has a problem on the right with Silvan Widmer suspended for Saturday’s game after earning his second Euro 2024 booking against Germany.
The manager is unlikely to deviate from his three players, so we should see Leonidas Stergiou instead of Widmer.
There have been changes up front for the Swiss throughout the tournament, and we saw the magician Xherdan Shaqiri return to the XI in the round of 16. Dan Ndoye was the only pillar.
Switzerland predicted system (3-4-2-1): Summer; Schar, Akanji, Rodriguez; Stergiou, Freuler, Xhaka, Aebischer; Shaqiri, Ndoye; Number.
Riccardo Calafiori, who tested Zaccagni’s equalizer against Croatia in a flash of defence, has been suspended for Saturday’s round of 16 match after picking up his second yellow card of the competition.
Spalletti could return to the back four on Saturday and bring Gianluca Mancini into his back line.
There could be few doubts about Lorenzo Pellegrini’s condition after he was withdrawn at half-time on Monday night. Gianluca Scamacca could return to Mateo Retegui, while Federico Chiesa is a shoo-in to start at right back.
Italy predicted system (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Mancini, Bastoni, Dimarco; Jorginho, Barella, Frattesi; Chiesa, Scamacca, Raspadori.
Many have predicted Switzerland’s demise at Euro 2024, but Yakin’s side have been steady in Germany this summer. They are well-built and tough to get into, and their core members are all impressive.
Italy didn’t set the world on fire in Group B and were lucky to play in Saturday’s game, but there were positives, especially without playing football. This Azzurri team is defensively sound and able to win the ball up high thanks to their impressive man-centred machine.
So, we might be in a bit of a situation in Berlin with an unexpected chance to score goals. Both teams will struggle without the ball, but neither will boast in front of goal to avoid Saturday’s game. It wouldn’t be surprising to see this one go to penalties – Italy’s cauldron may hold up better based on past experience.
Prediction: Switzerland 1-1 Italy (Italy to win on penalties)
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