Switzerland has started the knockout round of the UEFA 2024 European Championships with a bang, eliminating the defending Euro champions Italy with a dominant 2-0 win on Saturday in Berlin.
After more than 30 minutes of stalemate, Switzerland midfielder Remo Freuler broke through the Italian back line to score in the 37th minute. The goal was followed up by a banger from Swiss midfielder Ruben Vargas, who had an assist on the first goal, to open the second half and give Switzerland the dominant 2-0 lead.
The win also marks an upset from a rankings perspective: In the current FIFA rankings, Italy is ranked No. 10, while Switzerland is No. 19.
Switzerland and Italy both finished second in their respective groups, earning five and four points, respectively, in the group stage. Italy’s final two results — a loss to Spain off an own goal and a 1-1 tie with Croatia — were particularly frustrating for the defending champs.
Italy won the 2020 Euros — which were delayed by a year due to Covid-19 and played in the summer of 2021 — after defeats of high-level opponents like Belgium, Spain and England. The Italians survived penalty rounds against Spain in the semifinals and England in the finals to take the cup. Despite the victory, Italy has failed to qualify for the past two World Cups.
With the win, Switzerland has matched its previous best Euro result, a quarterfinals appearance at Euro 2020. Switzerland will now face the winner of Sunday’s game between England and Slovakia.
