Switzerland vs Italy Preview
The first round of 16 clash at the 2024 Euros is Switzerland vs Italy. The Swiss secured second in Group A with a win and two draws, whereas Italy won one, lost one, and finished the group with a draw. Both teams will fancy their chances of making it to the quarterfinals.
So far, Switzerland has beaten Hungary and drawn 1-1 with Scotland and Germany. Their most recent match against the host nation was fantastic, but they conceded in the 92nd minute to lose the top spot in the group. Italy started the Euros with a shaky performance against Albania, followed by an average showing against Spain. Once again, they looked out of sorts against Croatia but snatched a draw in the 98th minute.
The teams face off in Berlin at the Olympic Stadium, the biggest venue for the 2024 Euros. Kick-off is at 5 pm on June 29th, which is this Saturday. There is a two-day break after the final round of group fixtures before the round of 16 begins, and both teams need this rest to regroup.
Switzerland vs Italy Predictions
Prediction: Switzerland 1-1 Italy (2-1 After Extra Time)
Our prediction is for Switzerland to come out on top after extra time. Italy will again start the fixture slowly, going a goal down before showing signs of life. The Swiss will push for a second, but concede late on, forcing extra time. Switzerland will avoid a penalty shootout by finding the back of the net and this time holding on until the referee’s whistle.
Both teams have played good soccer and looked sloppy at times. The Swiss have a fantastic core thanks to Granit Xhaka, Manuel Akanji, and Fabian Schär. These three players afford stability for Ndoye and Embolo to stretch the opposition. Switzerland played with a fantastic high press against the Germans that worked for almost the entire game. One cross right at the death rescued the host nation from serious questions.
Italy has plenty of questions of its own. For starters, they have too many passengers in their squad. Dimarco, Scamacca, and Pellegrini have not provided enough for their country. They are not entirely to blame, as most Italian players look unsure about the next pass or phase of an attack. They dominated the game after conceding, but that is not the way to progress in knockout soccer. Manager Luciano Spalletti must tinker with his 11 to find a more reliable formula.
Our Euro 2024 prediction is for this game to come down to who starts better. Italy cannot afford to surrender the impetus early on to the Swiss. They must be defensively solid and hit on the counter against an incredibly well-drilled side. Gaps will appear on the Swiss side, but they must be clinical like the stunning strike against Croatia. We expect the Italians to concede first in this game and not have enough left in the tank to respond.
Neither team fits the bill if you were planning on betting on the Euro 2024 winner. Switzerland has incredible tactics, including a fantastic press, but they lack a goal threat. The same applies to Italy, as they have swapped from a front three to an attacking two. Spalletti threw the 4-3-3 out the window for their last game, but they still spent most of the game on the back foot. Perhaps dropping players like Retegui, Scamacca, and Dimarco will open spaces for Barella and Chisea.
Italy has the better squad and starting 11, but the Swiss have some talent in reserve. Xherdan Shaqiri could make the difference, especially if Italy starts slow. Ruben Vargas is a fantastic super sub, and he could have won it for the Swiss when they faced Germany, had it not been for a correct offside call. We predict Italy will start too softly and allow the Swiss the time and space to take the lead. The Italians will recover from behind again but look short of committed bodies for extra time or penalties if it goes the distance.
Switzerland vs Italy Betting Tips
Betting on Switzerland to win is the best bet. However, they enter this contest as the underdogs. Italy has the better team on paper, and they are higher in the FIFA world rankings. The main difference between the teams is that one looks like a solid unit, and one does not. Italy has already chopped and changed personnel and formations at this tournament. We expect the holders to get exposed by a well-drilled unit.
If you are wagering on this match, ensure you account for extra time and penalties. Certain markets available at our online betting site only include up to the 90th minute. If our prediction is right, it will finish as a draw before extra time is played. That means a wager on the Italy to win will not pay off if we see extra time or penalties.
Placing a €10 wager on the Swiss will return €34 with odds of 12/5. However, this is to win in 90 minutes. Betting on the Swiss to win this match by any means has odds worth 6/5. That would return €22 from the same stake. You can stretch these odds by choosing the exact method of victory. Switzerland to win in extra time has incredible odds of 12/1, which would give you 12 times your stake.
Betting on Italy to win in this match is worth 7/5, meaning a €10 stake gives you €24 if they can win in regular time. Once again, you can secure superb returns of 10/1 if you think Italy will clinch it in extra time. Ensure you research different markets when placing a Euro 2024 bet at this stage of the competition. Extra time and penalties often feature in knockout soccer.
Other potential winning wagers in this fixture include both teams to score at 1/1. While both teams have struggled to score goals in this tournament, we expect the players to rise to the occasion. Switzerland will score first, and the Italians should reply inside of regular time. Betting on the Swiss to lead at halftime and draw inside 90 minutes is worth 12/1 at Novibet.
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Switzerland vs Italy Key Stats and Head-To-Head
Switzerland vs Italy is not a common occurrence in European soccer, but they were in the same group for the 2022 World Cup Qualifiers. The Swiss topped Group C ahead of Italy, Northern Ireland, Bulgaria, and Lithuania. The teams played twice in this competition, with both matches ending in a draw. It finished 0-0 in the home leg for Switzerland and 1-1 in Italy.
Italy faced Switzerland three times in 2021, including one match at the Euros. The teams were in the same group, and Italy won the tournament. However, they also beat the Swiss 3-0 in the group stage with an incredible international team. Players like Chiellini, Bonucci, Insigne, and Immobile have not been replaced for this tournament. However, several of the Swiss players who featured that day still make up the squad.
Examining the most recent match between Italy and Switzerland reveals a significant difference in quality. The Swiss scored first thanks to right-back Silvan Widmer in the 10th minute. He ran onto a delightful pass across the penalty area and unleashed a vicious strike into the top left corner. Ten minutes before half-time Di Lorenzo equalised through a bizarre training-ground free-kick routine. Italy won a penalty with two minutes to play, thanks to some woeful defending. Substitute Ulisses Garcia shoved Berradi in the back with no attempt to win the ball. Jorginho stepped up from the spot and blasted it over the bar. It finished 1-1 and there were five yellow cards in the game.
While Italy has changed managers and personnel from that game, we expect a similar tempo this time. Looking at the over/under options online, betting on over 4.5 yellow cards could be a fantastic move. We also expect several offsides with the new semi-automated system. This could be one of the most exciting matches of the tournament so far.
📋 1/8-Finale. ✅
🇨🇭 @nati_sfv_asf 🆚 @Azzurri 🇮🇹#EURO2024 | #SUIITA | @Azzurri_En pic.twitter.com/a12Lo3o9DD
— UEFA EURO 2024 DE (@EURO2024DE) June 24, 2024
Switzerland Team News and Lineup
Head coach Murat Yakin has settled on the majority of his starting 11. However, he has changed the front three for each game so far in the Euros. Last game, Reider, Ndoye, and Embolo provided the attacking threat, leaving no room for Shaqiri. Vargas could step in for Reider with Shaqiri standing by as a super sub. We predict Embolo will lead the line again and Ndoye will start.
- Predicted lineup: Y. Sommer, R. Rodriguez, M. Akanji, F. Schar, M. Aebischer, G. Xhaka, R. Freuler, S. Widmer, D. Ndoye, R. Vargas, and B. Embolo.
Italy Team News and Lineup
Italy changed its formation against Croatia, a move that did not see any genuine change until after conceding. The introduction of Chisea saw a new attacking threat from the Italians, with Dimarco exiting after another below-average performance. Spalletti ditched the traditional 4-3-3 for 3-1-4-2 of sorts, which makes far more sense given his personnel.
Playing with a centre forward has not worked so far, so we don’t expect Scamacca to return to the starting 11. However, even though they salvaged 1-1 against Croatia, the head coach will be far from pleased with the team’s performance. We expect more changes for this fixture.
- Predicted Lineup: G. Donnarumma, M. Darmian, A. Bastoni, R. Calafiori, Jorginho, G. Di Lorenzo, N. Barella, L. Pellegreini, F. Chisea, M. Retegui, and G. Raspadori.
