Switzerland vs Italy: Preview, lineups and predictions (EURO2024 Round of 16)

*Odds are subject to change

Had Mattia Zaccagni not curled in a wonderful 98th-minute goal against Croatia, defending champions Italy would be out of Euro 2024. That last-gasp equaliser means they live to fight another day as they seek to become only the second-ever nation to win this tournament back-to-back.

Although the draw could have been worse for the Azzurri, their round of 16 opponents, Switzerland, are certainly no pushovers. Last time the Swiss took to the turf, they almost grabbed a win against host nation Germany, only to be denied by a late equaliser. While the ‘Nati’ may not be known for their footballing might, Italy would be wise not to underestimate Murat Yakin’s side, currently ranked 19th in the world.

• Location: Berlin
• Stadium: Olympiastadion
• Date: 29 June 2024
• Kick-off Time: 18:00 CEST (17:00 BST)
• Referee:?Szymon Marciniak
• VAR:?Tomasz Kwiatkowski

Switzerland Team News

Silvan Widmer has started in all of Switzerland’s matches so far, but he will not take part in this one. The right-wing back collected a yellow card late on in the draw against Germany for bringing down David Raum. As that was his second yellow of the tournament, this means an automatic one-game suspension.

Yakin should have no other absentees to worry about. Although Xherdan Shaqiri did not feature in the draw with Germany, it is believed the 32-year-old was just handed a rest. Denis Zakaria was also an unused substitute against Germany, hinting that he is closing in on full fitness. The defensive midfielder was not even fit enough for the bench for his side’s first two matches.

Italy Team News

The 93rd-minute yellow card Riccardo Calafiori collected in the draw with Croatia means the Bologna defender will watch this game from the sidelines. His absence could see Alessandro Buongiorno take up a place on the left side of a three-man backline. Alternatively, Spalletti may revert to a back-four system as used in Italy’s first two matches of the tournament.

Elsewhere, Federico Dimarco showed no discomfort from a recent calf problem during the Croatia match and should be fine to start again. So, excluding the suspended Calafiori, Luciano Spalletti has the full squad at his disposal.

Switzerland vs Italy H2H Record and Key Numbers

The good news for Italy is that they are enjoying an 11-match unbeaten streak against the Swiss. This suggests this fixture is a little more one-sided than it actually is though because five of the last six meetings have ended as a draw. The only Italian victory in this time saw the Azzurri dump Switzerland out of Euro 2020, and in some style too.

You may be surprised to know that Switzerland has only lost one match since the beginning of 2023, which is quite a formidable record ahead of this clash. In the same period, Italy fell to four defeats, although only two nations managed to beat them, England and Spain twice each.

Possible Lineups

• Switzerland (3-4-3): Sommer – Sch?r, Akanji, Rodríguez – Elvedi, Freuler, Xhaka, Aebischer – Ndoye, Embolo, Rieder
• Italy (4-2-3-1): Donnarumma – Di Lorenzo, Bastoni, Mancini, Dimarco – Barella, Jorginho – Frattesi, Pellegrini, Chiesa – Scamacca

Where to Watch Switzerland vs Italy Euro 2024 – TV and Online Live Streaming

In Italy, the game will be on both RAI 1 and Sky Sports. Swiss viewers just need to tune into SRF 2. Within the UK, the game will be broadcast live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

My Prediction

Most signs point to this as a low-scoring affair. Italy have not conceded more than one goal in any of their last eight matches, while for Switzerland, this is true of their last 10 fixtures. The two nations also have a history of low-scoring draws, so it is easy to see extra time being required to separate them in Berlin. That is why I will be backing a draw for this contest, and I expect Italy’s superior depth to give them a win in extra time.

For more Switzerland vs Italy match predictions, you can visit our tipsters page for this clash.