Our prediction for this Euro 2024 match:
Switzerland
Match Time & Date:
29/06/2024
18:00
Prediction: 1-0
Italy
A place in the EURO 2024 quarter-finals will be at stake when Switzerland and Italy lock horns at Olympiastadion on Saturday evening. The Rossocrociati were producing fine displays in the group stages, with the team beating Hungary, while sharing the spoils with Scotland and Germany and they are surely capable of claiming a major scalp in the last 16. Mainz defender Silvan Widmer serves a one-game ban, while there are no fresh injury worries in the home team.
The Azzurri, on the other hand, booked their place in the knockout stages thanks to Mattia Zaccagni’s late goal against Croatia, but they will have a big fish to fry against Granit Xhaka and Co. Switzerland are more of a team than Italy and we predict that the nominal hosts are going to make it to the European Championship quarter-finals. Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori is banned for the away team, with Gianluca Mancini likely to step up.
Highlighted Player (Granit Xhaka):
Granit Xhaka is widely regarded as one of Europe’s most talented central midfielders at the moment and he is on the radar of quite a few high-profile sides. Just two seasons at FC Basel proved enough to attract interest from Borussia M’gladbach, who secured his signature in the summer of 2012.
The Switzerland international had a slow start to his career in Germany, causing many pundits to start doubting his credentials, but he eventually turn things around to show he is more than capable of playing at the highest level. Acting as a deep-lying playmaker, Xhaka impressed fans and pundits alike with his performances in Bundesliga and European competitions, and he even managed to score a couple of important goals in the process.
Despite his fragile age, the highly regarded footballer has been a key member of the Switzerland national team for quite some time now, scoring 6 goals in his first 40 caps to establish himself as a real leader of the Rossocrociati. The 2014 World Cup, where he scored one goal in four starts, should prove just the first of many major tournaments to come.
Highlighted Team (Italy):
With four World Cup titles and one European Championship trophy, Italy remain one of world’s most successful teams and they have also finished as runners up at major tournaments on four occasions. The Azzurri have become famous for their result oriented football over the years which is perfectly suited for World Cup and Euro finals, so it is now a surprise when they fail to reach the final stages.
After winning the second and third edition of the World Cup, Italy endured a difficult period until lifting their first European Championship title in 1968, while they also managed to show some improvement at the turn of the century. While winning the 2006 World Cup in Germany, the Azzurri reached Euro finals in 2000 and 2012, and they are still regarded as one of the leading sides in Europe.
There have been too many high-profile players leaving their mark on the national team to count, but the likes of Paolo Maldini, Gianluigi Buffon, Fabio Cannavaro, Dino Zoff, Roberto Baggio, Luigi Riva and Alessandro Del Piero will go down as some of the most successful ones.
Inter
Milan
Wolves 
Nottingham Forest 
Arsenal 
Newcastle 
Eldense 
Valencia 
Athletic Bilbao 
Barcelona
Tottenham
Liverpool
