Switzerland vs Italy live updates (2024)

Holders Italy limped into the round of 16 but their luck finally ran out against Switzerland.

Luciano Spalletti’s team were outfought, outthought and outplayed in Berlin and can have no complaints they are heading home.

Switzerland were as stylish as their head coach Murat Yakin throughout, but it took until the 38th minute for them to take the lead.

Ruben Vargas made that one for Remo Freuler, and then doubled the lead 27 seconds after the break.

The ramifications in Rome and beyond will be lengthy.

Have a read as The Athletic’s own James Horncastle, Mark Carey and Michael Cox analyse the key talking points.

So, we have our first quarter-finalists in Switzerland. The defending champions Italy are on their way home.

And now, the attention switches to Dortmund where Euro 2024 hosts Germany face Denmark.

You can follow that one live with us too, with Max Mathews right here.

Enjoy.

As you can imagine, there was a lot of excitement from the Switzerland players off the back of that victory over Italy and reaching the quarter-finals.

Here’s some of that reaction, started with midfielder Fabian Rieder:

💬 “The feeling is great because we showed a really good performance. We showed from the first second that we really wanted to win this game.

“The spirit is incredible; everyone is happy, everyone runs for the other one, and I think we showed that on the pitch.”

And there there was striker Breel Embolo:

💬 “I’m happy and proud. The win is deserved. We deserved to win against a difficult team to play. We were compact and we created chances.

“We made a really good game and scored at the right moment. I am really proud for the team, the staff and for the whole country.”

It wasn’t the performance that Luciano Spalletti thought he was going to get. Spalletti has put a lot emphasis on tactical flexibility and energy.

For example, when he named the same 11 from the Albania game to the Spain game, he regretted that as he thought the players looked off the pace.

And after the changes today, they still looked off the pace.

Making all these changes today these players don’t look like they have played together, there were no patterns of play and that makes you look cagey and timid.

That is what Italy were all about today.

It also turns out that defending a European Championship is difficult.

With Italy out in the round of 16, it means the reigning champions have now been eliminated from the next Euros by the last 16:

• 2016: Spain (lost 2-0 to Italy in Ro16)
• 2020: Portugal (lost to Belgium 1-0 in Ro16)
• 2024: Italy (lost to Switzerland 2-0 in Ro16)

As for the Italy fallout, let’s start with these from Opta:

• Euro 2024 is the first time Italy have lost two games in a single European Championship IN THEIR HISTORY.
• It is also the first time Italy have failed to reach the last eight of a European Championship since 2004 — which saw them eliminated at the group stage, albeit in a 16-team tournament.

What a brilliant day for Switzerland then, and an overdue one against Italy.

You have to go back 12 meetings, to May 1993 and a World Cup qualifier for the last time the Swiss beat Italy.

Their manager at the time? Roy Hodgson.

Lovely stuff.

And if you were wondering what those Italy efforts on goal looked like, then this shows you with their shot map on the left.

You’re going to be pretty lucky if you make progress with a shot map like that.

Also, look at the field tilt (territory only including the two attacking thirds) and passes per defensive action (PPDA), where the lower the number the more aggressive the pressing.

Italy just didn’t do enough.

A deserving quarter-finalist beating an off-colour defending champion. Here’s how the numbers looked come the final whistle…

FT: Switzerland 2-0 Italy

• Possession: 49% — 51%
• Shots: 16 — 11
• On target: 4 — 1
• XG: 1.30 — 0.78
• Big chances: 2 — 1
• Blocked shots: 7 — 3
• Duels won: 35 — 39
• Dispossessed: 7 — 5

In truth, some of these stats look more even because that second goal just after half-time killed the game. That gave Italy more of the ball and allowed them to take a few more shots.

But in truth, they never looked like getting back level — never mind winning it.

Looking back at the first Switzerland goal, there were two small but crucial details which affected Italy in the build-up.

Firstly, Alessandro Bastoni, who had run across from left centre-back to more unfamiliar territory on the right side of the penalty area alongside Giovanni Di Lorenzo, and Di Lorenzo were both too distracted by the left-wing run beyond Ruben Vargas.

Both had tacked too far to the right in anticipation of the pass being given, and had their arms held out pointing right, indicating the other should cover the runner. In the end, both tracked neither. And Vargas - the attacker on the ball - had too much time and space to pick his pass.

Then, Gianluca Mancini, brought into the team today, threw himself at the ball when Freuler had already got past him.

I'm not saying he should have completely stopped running, but his diving tackle attempt both blocked Gianluigi Donnarumma's view and saw the ball take a slight deflection, changing direction and wrong-footing Donnarumma in goal.

Both contributed to the first goal going in. Those are how fine the margins are.

But as good as Switzerland were, Italy were as bad. Maybe worse.

They were horribly disjointed and but for a couple of creative moments from a fitness-affected Nicolo Barella, they offered almost nothing going forward.

They didn’t even have much of a defensive foundation to build on.

The ramifications of this exit will start now, and may not end for some time. We’ll see.

But for now, they simply head home.

First of all, what a superb performance from Switzerland. They dominated this one from start to finish, they created chances and they defended resolutely.

That will go down as a pretty perfect performance.

Ruben Vargas came in, made the first goal and scored the second — and the fact that one came just 27 seconds into the second half, it killed the game as a contest.

It will be either England or Slovakia who they will face in the last eight.

It’s all over. Brilliant Switzerland cruise through to the quarter-finals.

And the holders, Italy, are OUT.

90+1' Switzerland 2-0 Italy

TWO added minutes to come.

Or alternatively, TWO minutes left of Italy’s European Championship defence.

88' Switzerland 2-0 Italy

Again, the theme is desperation. Scamacca takes a rather hopeful tumble in the box, and that isn’t going anywhere.

The ball then strikes Stergiou’s arm in the box — but it does so with his arm by his side, and for that reason there is nothing doing there either.

85' Switzerland 2-0 Italy

A sign of Italy’s desperation there, as Pellegrini comes inside on his right and fires a curling shot well off target.

Which sums up Italy’s day so far.

That’s now nine shots on goal and only one tame effort hitting the target.

83' Switzerland 2-0 Italy

Switzerland continue to press forward themselves.

Zuber is in behind down the left channel, and he opts to fire a ball across the box. It looks dangerous but isn’t on target and there is no one in the box who could’ve slotted it home.

81' Switzerland 2-0 Italy

Into the final 10 minute we head, with added time too.

Italy’s race looks run.

78' Switzerland 2-0 Italy

Italy are ending up in a 3-1-6 or 2-2-6 at times here, pushing a midfielder and both full-backs on.

Unsurprisingly, it’s getting them stuck down the sides as they’ve no midfield to connect through centrally.

Switzerland content to defend dribbles out wide and with crosses coming into the box — Sommer has just claimed a ball excellently.

77' Switzerland 2-0 Italy

A double change for Italy as Pellegrini and Cambiaso come on, for Darmian and Cristante.

Switzerland then make a similar move, with Sierro and Duah on for Embolo and Ndoye.

There is almost no rhythm to this game at the moment.