Euro 2024: England Should Be Wary of a Potential Swiss Surprise

England vs Switzerland

England and Switzerland are set to face off in the Euro 2024 quarter-finals after dispatching their Round of 16 opponents in contrasting fashion.

England were lucky, as they were 86 seconds away from losing 1-0 to Slovakia (after Ivan Schranz struck first) before Jude Bellingham’s bicycle kick forced extra-time, where Harry Kane eventually scored the marginal goal for the 2-1 victory.

On the other hand, Switzerland put on a football clinic against former champions Italy when they beat them 2-0, as Remo Freuler and Ruben Vargas were in the Euro 2024 highlights reel.

But despite their poor performances so far, the pre-game SBOTOP betting odds favour the Three Lions to win.

Will England pull off another great escape? Or will Switzerland score another upset in this tournament?

 

Talking Points

England might make changes at the back

England wouldn’t have beaten Slovakia if it weren’t for the moments of brilliance from Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, and that alone may not be enough to defeat Switzerland, a more well-drilled side.

Gareth Southgate may have to make changes in his lineup since Marc Guehi is not available for this game due to an accumulation of yellow cards.

Ezri Konsa is likely to take his place alongside John Stones at centre-half, and Kyle Walker will likely maintain his place as the starting right-back for the Three Lions.

Southgate should consider starting Luke Shaw at left-back to replace Kieran Trippier, who was an awkward fit in the first place. The Manchester United defender has been out for a while due to a hamstring injury, but he is back on the bench, ready to contribute.

Shaw’s overlapping runs add dynamism to England’s attack, especially if an Anthony Gordon or a Cole Palmer is paired with him on the left side, although don’t be surprised if Phil Foden starts again as a left winger (and Bukayo Saka on the right) since Southgate is stubborn.

 

Switzerland survive injury scare

Switzerland got a huge shot in the arm after learning that Granit Xhaka is probable to play against England on Saturday.

It was reported that Granit Xhaka underwent a scan on an adductor problem on Monday after complaining about it during their 2-0 win over Italy last time out.

The Bayer Leverkusen enforcer has played a key role in Switzerland’s impressive run at the tournament, having started every game in midfield and being named Man of the Match in two games, so his absence would’ve been a big blow.

Head coach Murat Yakin loves his 3-4-2-1 formation, the same formation that Xhaka has thrived under Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen this year. Xhaka will link up with Remo Freuler in the middle (with Xherdan Shaqiri as an off-the-bench option), while Ruben Vargas and Fabian Rieder will back up Breel Embolo up front.

Switzerland’s defence shouldn’t be overlooked either, as Fabian Schar, Manuel Akanji, and Ricardo Rodriguez have all done a superb job of covering goalkeeper Yann Sommer.

 

History

England and Switzerland will square off for the first time since an international friendly match in March 2022, where the former won with a 2-1 scoreline.

The Three Lions have lost just one of their 24 meetings with the Swiss in all competitions (W17, D6) and are undefeated in 13 (W9, D4) since a 2-1 defeat in a World Cup qualifier in May 1981.

England have now reached the quarter-finals in all four of their major tournaments under Gareth Southgate for the first time ever.

Switzerland, on the other hand, have reached only their fifth-ever quarter-finals of a major tournament, and they have been eliminated at this juncture in all four of their previous attempts.

 

Betting Tip

The Euro 2024 odds like England’s chances to pull off another win, although their margin of error is not that big compared to their match against Slovakia.

The Three Lions are valued at 2.28 to win, but the Swiss aren’t far behind at 3.33, and a draw after 90 minutes is at 3.01 in the 1X2 market.

Just like in the match preview against Slovakia, our recommended bet above covers an England victory, whether it’s high or low-scoring.

Both teams are expected to find the back of the net, so other than the bets we just mentioned, you may also want to think about going for Over 2.00 at 1.97, Over 2.25 at 2.26, and Total Goals 2-3 at 1.92.

But if you fancy Switzerland’s chances to win (and we won’t blame you), check out the Correct Score of 2-0 in their favour, given its generous 17.00 offer.

   

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