Switzerland strengths, weaknesses and familiar Serie A faces | OneFootball

There are numerous current and former Serie A talents in the Switzerland team who will face Italy in the EURO 2024 Round of 16, so let us look at their strengths and weaknesses.

It kicks off at the Olympiastadion in Berlin on Saturday at 17.00 UK time (16.00 GMT).

Switzerland held Italy to a pair of draws in the qualifying campaign for the 2022 World Cup, with Jorginho failing to convert a penalty in each of those matches, pushing the Azzurri into second place and the ill-fated play-offs.

Since then, many of the Swiss stars have made their name in Serie A, including Bologna pair Michel Aebischer and Dan Ndoye, both of whom have already scored at EURO 2024.

Veteran goalkeeper Yann Sommer joined Inter a year ago, while Ricardo Rodriguez plays for Torino, Remo Freuler at Bologna and Noah Okafor at Milan.

Others have history with Serie A, like former Inter midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri, who wore the Nerazzurri jersey briefly in 2015 before the sale to Stoke City.

Denis Zakaria was another who barely set foot in Italian waters, lasting all of six months at Juventus in 2022.

Silvan Widmer spent five years with Udinese from 2013 to 2018, but he is suspended and will not play tomorrow.

Switzerland tactical issues

As Luciano Spalletti already pointed out, they defend with a high line and keep it tight, which allows them to be very aggressive when winning back the ball, but also inevitably leaves gaps behind the defence if the run can be timed accurately.

Sky Sport Italia also analysed the EURO 2024 tournament so far and found that the Swiss conceded two goals and very nearly a third all on crosses from the left.

This was most evident in the victory over Hungary, where Varga missed a sitter before nodding in at the second time of asking.

Switzerland were on track to win against Germany until conceding a stoppage-time header, again on a cross from the left.

This is the area where Matteo Darmian or Andrea Cambiaso will play, but Federico Dimarco is out injured and therefore cannot do his usual marauding forward down that flank.

Stephan El Shaarawy could be in the more advanced wide role down the left, or Mattia Zaccagni.

Their greatest strength, along with organisation, is the pace of rediscovered centre-forward Breel Embolo.

The 27-year-old Monaco striker played only five Ligue 1 games this season after recovering from a devastating anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Yet he still managed to score one goal and has already found the net in three appearances at EURO 2024, coming off the bench in the 3-1 win over Hungary on June 15.

Embolo was also a substitute against Scotland and lasted 65 minutes starting with Germany.

Probable Switzerland line-up (3-4-2-1): Sommer; Schar, Akanji, Rodriguez; Stergiou, Freuler, Xhaka, Aebischer; Ndoye, Vargas; Embolo