BERLIN: Switzerland knocked reigning champions Italy out of the 2024 European Championship with a stunning 2-0 win on Saturday, reaching the quarter-finals for the second time in their history.
Murat Yakin’s excellently trained team beat the weak two-time winners in the round of 16 in Berlin and will face England or Slovakia in the next round.
Ruben Vargas set up Remo Freuler for Switzerland’s opening goal in the 37th minute before scoring an excellent goal himself early in the second half to deservedly double the Swiss lead.
A new-look Italy, lacking stars and many of the key figures that led the country to triumph at Euro 2020, could do little to counter Switzerland’s energetic performance.
Former Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka, who arrived at the European Championships after a stunning season with German champions Bayer Leverkusen, pulled the strings and the Swiss looked unlikely to relinquish their lead.
Italy coach Luciano Spalletti dropped Jorginho after his worrying performance in the group stage and brought in Nicolo Fagioli in defensive midfield instead. Six powerful substitutions, however, failed to bring the Azzurri to life.
The 23-year-old was in the starting line-up for the first time in a major tournament after missing most of the season with Juventus due to a seven-month ban for betting on football matches.
Italy narrowly survived the first half of the season thanks to a last-minute goal from Mattia Zaccagni in a 1-1 draw with Croatia, and Spalletti said his team had no choice but to improve in the knockout stages.
But it was Switzerland who grew in confidence and produced their best performance yet, making a brilliant start at the Olympic Stadium in sweltering Berlin, where a far more impressive Italian team won the 2006 World Cup.
Former goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, now head of the Italian delegation, regaled the team with stories about that triumph, but it failed to inspire a convincing performance – with the exception of his modern counterpart Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper, who played a key role in Italy’s Euro 2020 title, made a brilliant save to deny Breel Embolo midway through the first half as Switzerland’s open play gave them their first real chance.
Donnarumma could not stop Freuler from putting Switzerland ahead in the 37th minute when the midfielder controlled Vargas’ low cross and slotted home at the near post.
Switzerland held the ball for over a minute in the build-up play and played 33 passes together before Freuler, who plays for Serie A club Bologna, put the finishing touches on the goal.
Donnarumma made a brilliant save before half-time to deny Fabian Rieder’s free kick, which hit the post. The Swiss were looking to repeat their best performance at a European Championship by reaching the quarter-finals.
Hosts Germany needed a late equaliser to avoid defeat to Switzerland in the group stage. At the previous European Championships they knocked favourites France out in the round of 16, so Italy cannot say they were not warned.
Spalletti replaced Zaccagni on goal at half-time, but Italy lost possession immediately after kick-off and Switzerland doubled their lead just 27 seconds into the second half.
Augsburg midfielder Vargas, who started on the left side of the attack in place of the suspended Silvan Widmer, entered the penalty area and shot the ball over Donnarumma with a brilliant shot.
Italy came closest to scoring in the first hour when Swiss defender Fabian Schär misjudged a header and hit the frame of his own goal.
Substitute Mateo Retegui fired Italy’s first shot on goal as the clock ran out and the almost invisible Gianluca Scamacca hit the post from close range but appeared to be offside.
The teams drew twice in qualifying for the 2022 World Cup. Although the Azzurri failed to qualify for the tournament, they were able to go one better in Germany and claim their first victory against Italy since 1993, after having gone eleven years without a win.
