Best Odds: 7/10
Bookmaker:
With a tremendous amount of pressure on their shoulders this weekend, England will travel to Dusseldorf on Saturday evening when they meet Switzerland for their EURO 24 quarter-final showdown.
England
Starting with England, somehow finding a way to edge past Slovakia last weekend and avoiding what would have been one of the darkest days in their history, Gareth Southgate’s side have come under a huge amount of scrutiny this summer. Drastically failing to make any kind of impact over in Germany and extremely fortunate to have booked a ticket to Dusseldorf on Saturday evening, the former Middlesbrough boss must get the best out of what many across the continent are billing as a golden generation. Opening this summer’s European Championships billed as one of the standout contenders to get their hands on a first piece of international silverware since 1966, England are seeking some kind of stability. Signing off their pre-tournament preparations with an infamous 1-0 loss at home against Iceland, Southgate’s side could face another stern examination here.
Team News
Still yet to make a single appearance at this summer’s European Championships, Manchester United defender Luke Shaw is once again not expected to feature here. In what looks set to be a huge blow for England on Saturday evening, Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi will be forced to serve a one-match suspension in Dusseldorf.
Coming off the bench and making a first EURO 24 appearance against Slovakia last weekend, Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa could replace Guehi at the back. Despite coming under plenty of scrutiny this summer, Bayern Munich talisman Harry Kane will lead out the Three Lions on Saturday.
Switzerland
As for Switzerland, although the Rossocrociati might have struggled to find much stability during their EURO 24 qualifying adventure last year, Murat Yakin’s men have embarked on a real fairytale this summer. Getting their European campaign underway with a routine 3-1 victory against Hungary on June 15th, the one-time Basel boss has seen his squad gain a string of plaudits from across the continent. Making a major statement last week and sending defending champions Italy packing thanks to an iconic 2-0 victory in Berlin, Switzerland will be looking to collect another monumental scalp on Saturday evening. With the mood in their camp at a red-hot high, the Swiss have also suffered just a single defeat from any of their previous 18 consecutive appearances across all competitions a purple patch that stems all the way back to their World Cup exit out in Qatar 18 months ago.
Team News
Forced to miss out against Italy last weekend after serving a one-match ban, Mainz defender Silvan Widmer will return to Switzerland’s squad on Saturday evening. However, securing that iconic 2-0 victory against the now-former European champions in Berlin, Yakin could be tempted to name the same starting XI here.
Playing a leading role as Bayer Leverkusen got their hands on a maiden Bundesliga crown last season, ex-Arsenal skipper Granit Xhaka will lead out the Swiss and earn a 130th international cap. Opening his EURO 24 account against Italy last week, Augsburg star Ruben Vargas will play a leading role this weekend.
Key Factors to Consider
