Defending champ Italy exited Euro 2024, succumbing to the underdog Switzerland. The Swiss completed their upset of the reigning champions with a 2-0 win Saturday in Berlin. Ruben Vargas and Remo Freuler scored goals for the winners, marking a historic moment for Swiss football. As a result, Switzerland advanced to the next round, a feat no one could have predicted. On the other hand, Italy struggled to find its footing right from the start.
In the 37th minute, Switzerland finally got their just desserts—Freuler received the ball inside the penalty area from Vargas and sent a slightly deflected attempt towards the near post, which Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma couldn’t save.
After the interval, the Swiss faithful were not waiting for a second goal—just 27 seconds, to be precise. Starting with its own kickoff, Italy resumed its careless play with the ball, a trend that extended throughout the second half. According to the best pay per head bookie, Switzerland advanced the ball forward. Also, Vargas stunned the Italians with a spectacular attempt from the edge of the box that went into the top right corner.
Defending Champ Italy Out, Switzerland Advances
Switzerland rightfully advanced, while Italy looked entirely out of sorts in their first-round match, ending their championship defense. The disappointment was palpable among Italy’s fans as they watched their team’s unexpected early exit. Thanks to Italy’s loss, the defending champion lost in the quarterfinals in the previous three European Championships. Sunday’s clash between England and Slovakia will determine Switzerland’s quarterfinal opponent. There’s time to learn how to bet on sports before the event.
Gianluca Mancini started in place of the suspended Riccardo Calafiori, a defender who has been one of the tournament’s standout performers. The game started cautiously, with few apparent opportunities. With a firm press that kept Italy out of possession, Switzerland got off to a better start than their opponent. However, Italy’s solid defense kept them from scoring in the first half.
At about the 20-minute mark, though, Switzerland began to find openings in Italy’s defense, and Breel Embolo scored a goal after latching onto a through-ball over the top. However, the striker missed a golden opportunity as his weak shot went straight at Donnarumma’s hands. This seemed like the turning point in the game when experienced attacker Stephan El Shaarawy dribbled past two Swiss defenders and had a shot on goal saved by Manuel Akanji.
Italy’s Struggles in Defense
Italy’s defense struggled throughout the first half and was again clogged by the relentless push. Switzerland defender Ricardo Rodriguez’s spectacular long-range shot went over the crossbar, unable to break the scoring.
After a while, though, Switzerland finally broke through. A swarm of red shirts rushed into the box, and Vargas found Freuler, who slipped a close-range shot past Donnarumma. The Azzurri, who had fallen behind for the fourth match in a row, failed to trouble the Swiss defense in the first half and showed no improvement after falling.
Right before halftime, Switzerland nearly extended its advantage with a free kick from the right wing, which Fabian Rieder tried to catch Donnarumma off guard with—however, the Italian goalkeeper dove across his goal to redirect the shot to the near post. Even after halftime, Yakin’s squad didn’t slow down; according to the BBC, Vargas scored the second-fastest goal in Euro history in the second half.
Luciano Spalletti’s team almost equalized on a fortunate break when Swiss defender Fabian Schär headed the ball invertedly into his post while goalkeeper Yann Sommer was glued to the spot.
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