It gets harder and harder to predict a winner as we enter the final stages of Euro 2024. The teams for the quarter finals are decided, and looking at the fixtures, it seems several nail-biting matches are ahead. With the teams being more evenly matched this time, the next Round of playoffs will be nothing short of exciting.
England is all set to take on Switzerland in the Quarterfinals, which will be their hardest opponent yet in Euro 2024. England have yet to deliver what was expected of them. Coming to the tournament, they were considered one of the favorites for the Euro title. However, they almost ended up losing to Slovakia, a side that entered the Playoffs through a third Group stage position qualification. England has been struggling from the start of the Euro and doesn’t seem like a team that can bring the trophy home.
Switzerland, on the other hand, has been one of the more successful teams in this edition of the Euro. Their performance didn’t get much attention as they were overshadowed by Germany’s performance in Group A. They even comfortably defeated Italy 2-0 in the Round of 16. Moreover, Xhaka’s team has been enjoying an unbeaten run so far.
The England vs Switzerland encounter is set for Saturday, 6th of July. The match will take place at Merkur Spiel Arena and start at 10:00 pm. Set a reminder you wouldn’t want toms this fiery clash!
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England Team Preview
England has incredible squad depth and has been highly regarded by pundits all around. They have players coming from Europe’s top clubs. They even went all the way to the finals of Euro 2020, where they lost to Italy in penalties. So it’s obvious they would be rated high for this edition, too. But they are far off from the expectations fans had for them. They were ready to be eliminated from the Round of 16 by the slightest of margins.
Southgate’s team has immense potential, and there is nothing to deny it. But the players don’t seem to connect between them. That has been the case just recently. They beat Serbia 1-0 in their first Group stage match of Euro 2024. Their performances were incredibly underwhelming in contrast to what we saw in the FIFA World Cup or even last Euro in their first. They could only take three shots on targets against a team like Serbia, which doesn’t justify the attacking prowess they possess. They drew against Denmark by 1-1, and Denmark seemed to perform better than England. In their last group stage match, they were held to a goalless draw by Slovenia, which on paper should be considered an upset.
England’s strength has turned to its biggest weakness. They lack attacking power even though they have some of the best forwards in their team. They only scored two goals in the three Group stage matches, and two of their goals in the Playoff match against Slovakia came during the extra time. Moreover, they only managed to take two shots on target despite staying 1-0 down for over 65 minutes. It’s clear they are struggling to organize a decisive attack. Struggling to score a goal despite having players like Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Saka, and Foden is just bizarre.
Southgate will be looking to make changes in formation and tactics because the current plans clearly aren’t working for them. The only silver lining for them has been their defense. Other than that, nothing seems to be working for them. Switzerland is their first tough opponent so far, so they will need more than just star players to beat them. Southgate has to make his players play as a team rather than relying on individual performance.
Predicted XI: Pickford (GK), Trippier, Konsa, John Stones, Kyle Walker, Declan Rice, Mainoo, Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham, Saka, Harry Kane(C)
Switzerland Team Preview
Switzerland must be high on confidence after they beat the champions of Euro 2020, Italy by 2-0. However, at the start, the Swiss were not considered a contender for the title. But they have proved everyone wrong with their all-around performance. They would have even topped the group had they not conceived the goal against Germany in extra minutes.
Murat Yakin’s team started their Euro 2024 journey against Scotland, which ended in a 1-1 draw. They showed their full potential against the tournament favorites, Germany. Dan Ndoye scored for Switzerland in the 28th minute, and they kept the lead almost till the end until Fullkrug scored in the extra minutes to end the match in a draw. In their last match, they beat Hungary convincingly by 3-1. Their best performance came against Italy, where they beat the current champions 2-0 and didn’t let Italy even stand a chance throughout the match. Switzerland has remained unbeaten till now, and the way they are playing, they intend to stay that way till the end.
Switzerland’s strength lies in its strong midfield play, which was prevalent in all of its Euro encounters. Their captain, Xhaka, who is undoubtedly their best player, led the midfield from the front. The Swiss midfielders are very technical and play as a unit, which could be because they have been playing in this stage for many years. Even though most of Murat Yakin’s players are way past young age, they still play pacey football till the last minute.
Swiss players are also very adept at set pieces. They become dangerous from corners and close-range freekicks. Moreover, they are very good at winning aerial balls. They also have a very compact defense with players like Manuel Akanji and Ricardo Rodríguez. What Switzerland lacks the most are versatile finishers. Then again, the likes of Xherdan Shaqiri and Breel Embolo have been able to offer more than what England’s forwards have delivered.
Predicted XI: Sommer (GK),Ricardo Rodriguez, Manuel Akanji, Schar, Aebischer, Freuler, Xhaka(C), Widmer, Ndoye, Vargas, Embolo
England vs Switzerland Betting Odds
England 2.03 – 2.70 Draw –3.59 Switzerland (PariMatch)
England vs Switzerland Head-to-Head Stats
Previous history seems to favor England over Switzerland in this match as they have the majority win percentage. England and Switzerland have faced each other in a total of 27 instances, with England coming victorious in 19 of them. In the last nine encounters, England has remained unbeaten, winning in 7.
Switzerland has not seen a win against England in more than 40 years. The last time they were able to make a draw against them was a decade ago. But it’s been years since they have met each other in any major tournament. The last time they met was in 2019 in a UEFA Nations League match, which ended in a draw.
England vs Switzerland Betting Tips and Predictions
The England vs Switzerland encounter is going to be one of the most unpredictable matches of the Euro 2024 quarterfinals. Usually, England would have been the obvious choice if I had to choose a winner. But the way England has played in this Euro has changed the whole equation. England is still expected to win against Switzerland, but that is only due to England’s previous winning records with Switzerland.
England players will have to fight till their last breath if they are going to beat Switzerland. Both teams have considerable defense, so the match is expected to be low-scoring. There is a high possibility that the match ends in a draw and goes to the penalties. There may even be a late match winner, which could go both ways. The players who could make the difference for England are Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane. For Switzerland, it would be Granit Xhaka. He has been excellent throughout.
This may go down as the most heavily contested match in Euro 2024. I would not be surprised if Switzerland goes through to the Semifinals.