Switzerland stuns Italy 2-0 to advance in Euro 2024

Defending champions Italy were knocked out of Euro 2024 in the round of 16, following a careless and directionless performance by Luciano Spalletti's team that resulted in a 2-0 loss. However, Switzerland's Remo Freuler and Ruben Vargas scored two outstanding goals for the team.

The Italians made their task easier by making sloppy passes and poor decisions, giving up the ball cheaply in central places, and not applying enough pressure as they tried to leave the field, even if the Swiss defended well.

After a slow, shaky start on a steamy evening in Berlin, Breel Embolo's attempt to wait out Gianluigi Donnarumma proved fruitless, as the Italian goalkeeper easily parried his curled shot, giving Switzerland the lead in the twenty-fourth minute.

Though it was a premonition of things to come, the Italians were unable to hang onto the ball at all in the first half, with even the most insignificant passes ending up on a red shirt instead of a blue one.

Stephan El Shaaraway was the lone bright spot for the Italians. He had a great opportunity of his own in the 26th minute with a classic jinking run, but even though he did brilliantly to get the ball back onto his right foot, his shot was blocked for a corner, and strangely, he was taken off the field at halftime.

With a masterfully-worked goal in the 37th minute, the Swiss broke through and began to look far more like the defending champions than their lethargic opponents. They were tearing apart the Italians.

Vargas found space on the left as Michel Aebischer moved into the middle of the pitch. Although his pinpoint pass put Freuler's initial touch to the test, the midfielder hammered the ball home to put his team ahead at the half.

Whatever Spalletti said at halftime proved ineffective, as his team fell behind two goals in the space of a minute. Vargas' incredible shot curled into the top corner, leaving Italy's lumbering, flat-footed defence for spectators.

In the 51st minute, Fabian Schaer's deft defensive header nearly gave the Italians a lifeline. It caught his own goalie Yann Sommer off guard, and he watched helplessly as the ball bounced up and kissed the far post before being cleared.

As the time ran out, the Italian players appeared helpless against the formidable Swiss defense, relying on rash long shots that caused little concern for Sommer.

Gianluca Scammacca's close-range effort to scuff the ball onto the near post in the 74th minute was as close as Italy would get, and their supporters were leaving the stands well before the final whistle, leaving those still seated dumbfounded by their team's lackluster performance.

After the match, Italian coach Spalletti remarked, "That goal at the start of the second half cut our legs, we weren't very incisive."

"Our first-half pace was just too slow compared to theirs, and that's what made the difference. There was variation in tempo even among the individual players."

The Swiss supporters cheered and danced as the match came to an end, knowing that their team would play the victor of Sunday's England vs. Slovakia match in Duesseldorf on Saturday.

"We had an excellent performance, so I'm feeling extremely happy. Swiss player Fabian Rieder commented, "We showed from the first second that we really wanted to win this game."

"The spirit is incredible; everyone is happy, everyone runs for everyone else, and I think we showed that on the pitch," Rieder continued. Perhaps the Italians should take note of this as they falter out of the competition.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Press Time staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.