England vs Switzerland Preview & Prediction | UEFA EURO 2024 | Quarter-Final

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In what is the so-called ‘easier’ side of the draw, the runners’ up of UEFA EURO 2020 are back into the quarter-finals and take on an impressive Switzerland side in Dusseldorf as the two sides inch closer to what could be a very famous tournament.

KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Saturday 6^th July, 2024 - UK – 5:00pm / US ET – 12:00pm / US PT – 9:00am

HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – BBC / US – FOX

HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – BBC iPlayer / US – ViX

ENGLAND PREVIEW: NEVER WRITE OFF THE GER… ENGLISH?

What if Gordon Banks was available for the quarter-final in 1970? What if there was no ‘Hand of God’ in 1986? What if Chris Waddle didn’t blaze over the bar in 1990? What if Paul Gascoigne was an inch taller in 1996? What if David Beckham hadn’t been sent off in 1998? What if David Seaman had jumped in 2002? What if Wayne Rooney hadn’t got injured in 2004 and then wasn’t sent off in 2006? What if Frank Lampard’s goal was given in 2010? What if Harry Kane had scored his penalty in 2022?

The story of England at international tournaments is dominated by ‘what ifs’. This England team have been bad at UEFA EURO 2024 – and yet there was no room for ‘what if’ against Slovakia because they had the moment and they had the player in Jude Bellingham to ‘come up clutch’ in American parlance and take the game to extra-time and then win it. There is quality there but performances, simply, have to improve if they are to go any further.

SWITZERLAND PREVIEW: NO HOLES IN THE SWISS SIDE

Switzerland, on the other hand, for a second successive UEFA European Championships, knocked out a finalist from the previous tournament in the Round of 16. After beating France on penalties in 2021, Murat Yakin’s side comfortably defeated the defending European champions Italy by two goals to nil in Berlin last week.

They came into the tournament after finishing behind Romania in qualifying with a public disagreement between captain Granit Xhaka and manager Murat Yakin. However, an unbeaten group stage and comfortable, impressive win over Italy later and they can now dream of reaching their first ever major tournament semi-final.

ENGLAND TEAM NEWS: A RESHAPING OF THE TEAM

According to leaks in the English press in the build-up to the game, Ezri Konsa will come in for the suspended Marc Guehi but the Three Lions will also re-jig the entire system with a back three being preferred. Questions remain over the personnel for that system, though. The expectation is that Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham will feature as duel number tens with Bukayo Saka moving wide to left wing-back.

PREDICTED XI (3-4-2-1): Pickford; Walker, Stones, Konsa; Alexander-Arnold, Rice, Mainoo, Saka; Foden, Bellingham; Kane

UNAVAILABLE: Guehi (Suspended)

QUESTIONABLE: Trippier (Injured), Shaw (Injured), Rice (Injured)

SWITZERLAND TEAM NEWS: DOUBTS OVER XHAKA

Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka has a potential adductor issue that means he is a doubt for this clash but given the enormity of the fixture, it would take something major for him to miss out. Aside from that, there are no fresh concerns for the Swiss. Xhaka does look set to be available, though, so the major talking point will be whether Murat Yakin sticks with the adventurous but in-form wing-backs of Bologna duo Michel Aebischer and Dan Ndoye.

PREDICTED XI (3-4-1-2): Sommer; Schar, Akanji, Rodriguez; Ndoye, Freuler, Xhaka, Aebischer; Rieder; Vargas, Embolo

UNAVAILABLE:

QUESTIONABLE: Xhaka (Injured)

KEY STATS

• England are unbeaten in the last 13 matches between these two teams (W9 D4), since a 2-1 World Cup qualifying defeat in Basel in May 1981
• The last competitive match between England and Switzerland was settled by a penalty shoot-out, with England winning 6-5 on penalties in the third-place play-off at the 2019 UEFA Nations League finals following a 0-0 draw.
• This is their third EURO meeting. The most recent was a 3-0 victory for England in the group stage at EURO 20004, the first was a 1-1 draw in the opening fixture at EURO 1996.
• England have conceded only one goal in their last five matches against Switzerland.
• England have now reached the quarter-finals in four of their last five EURO appearances.
• England have won two and lost two of their previous four EURO final tournament quarter-final ties. Three of the ties were decided by a penalty shoot-out (W vs Spain 1996, L vs Portugal 2004 and L vs Italy 2012). The 4-0 victory against Ukraine at EURO 2020 is the only one that was settled in normal time.
• England have kept three clean sheets in their previous four EURO quarter-final matches.
• Excluding penalty shoot-outs, England have lost only one of their last 22 EURO matches (W12 D9 L1).
• Excluding penalty shoot-outs, England are unbeaten in their last 11 EURO matches (W7 D4). This is their longest run without losing a EURO match.
• Seven of England’s last ten EURO knockout matches have required extra-time.
• England have lost only one of their last 18 competitive matches (W11 D6).
• Harry Kane has scored five goals in his last five EURO knockout round appearances.
• Harry Kane has now scored six EURO goals, bringing him level with Wayne Rooney and only one behind Alan Shearer (7) who is England’s record EURO goalscorer.
• Jude Bellingham (21y 7d) is set to be the youngest player to make an appearance in two EURO quarter-finals.
• Excluding penalty shoot-outs, Gareth Southgate has not lost any of his 11 EURO matches as coach (W7 D4). This is the longest run of successive matches without losing for a coach in EURO history.
• Kieran Trippier could make his tenth EURO appearance.
• Switzerland have reached the quarter-finals at a second successive EURO having done so for the first time at EURO 2020 when they lost on penalties against Spain.
• The 2-0 victory against Italy in the round of 16 at EURO 2024, is the only one of Switzerland’s four EURO knockout matches that has not been settled by a penalty shoot-out. Lost 5-4 on pens vs Poland in the EURO 2016 round of 16 after a 1-1 draw, Won 5-4 on pens vs France in the EURO 2020 round of 16 after a 3-3 draw and Lost 3-1 on pens vs Spain in the EURO 2020 quarter-finals after a 1-1 draw.
• Excluding penalty shoot-outs, Switzerland have lost only one of their last 14 EURO matches (W5 D8). That was their 3-0 defeat against Italy in the EURO 2020 group stage.
• Switzerland have lost only one of their last 18 international matches (W8 D9).
• Switzerland are unbeaten in their eight matches in 2024 (W4 D4)
• Switzerland have scored in seven successive EURO matches for the first time.
• Switzerland have only failed to score in two of their last 20 international matches.
• Switzerland have scored at least one goal in the first half in six of their last seven EURO matches.
• Switzerland have been winning at half-time in five of their last seven EURO matches.
• All of Switzerland’s seven goals at EURO 2024 have been scored by different players.
• Remo Freuler and Manuel Akanji could both make their tenth EURO appearance in this match.

ENGLAND VS SWITZERLAND PREDICTION

As mentioned, whilst England got the job done in very un-England fashion against Switzerland, the Three Lions have been underwhelming to say the least throughout their four matches and the lack of cohesion or remote attacking plan would be a major concern ahead of the latter stages. In contrast, the Swiss have an excellent chance of knocking out both of the UEFA EURO 2020 finalists and it is difficult to see, based on performances thus far, a way in which Switzerland do not create and score more goals than their opposition on Saturday.

ENGLAND VS SWITZERLAND TIP: DOUBLE CHANCE – SWITZERLAND TO WIN OR DRAW