BERLIN, Germany — Familiar opponents Italy and Switzerland meet in the Euro 2024 last 16 in Berlin on Saturday, and while familiarity hasn’t bred contempt, there is also no fear from the Swiss in facing a country many of their players call home.
Italians and Swiss have long had close ties, sharing a border and Italian is one of the official languages of Switzerland, but that will all be forgotten in Berlin, Reuters reported.
Italy and Switzerland have met 61 times, the most common opponent for each country and while the Swiss have beaten the Italians only eight times, most recently in 1993, they have impressed more in Germany.
Switzerland came close to topping Group A before conceding an added-time equaliser in the final game against hosts Germany, and it was a performance which showed they have no fear of anyone at this tournament.
Italy needed a late goal to snatch a 1-1 draw with Croatia to progress, and the defending champions have failed to impress, unlike Euro 2020 when they eased through the group stage and beat the Swiss comfortably.
After seeing off Turkey 3-0 in their opening game three years ago, Italy beat Switzerland by the same score.
Bologna was a team who took Serie A by storm last season, finishing fifth in the standings to secure Champions League football and there could be as many as three Bologna players on the pitch in Berlin, all on the Swiss side.
Unfortunately for Italy, Luciano Spalletti will not have Riccardo Calafiori available, with the Bologna defender suspended. Calafiori made the opposite move to many Swiss players when joining Basle before returning to Italy.
Midfielder Michel Aebischer scored in Switzerland’s 3-1 opening win over Hungary, forward Dan Ndoye put them in front against Germany Remo Freuler completes the Swiss Bologna trio.
“I’m sorry for Riccardo, really. I would have liked to have faced him at the Olympiastadion,” Freuler said.
“On Saturday, however, the challenge will be Switzerland against Italy. Not Bologna against Italy.”
Freuler was on loan at Bologna from Nottingham Forest last season, but before that he spent six years at Atalanta, and this will be no ordinary game for the 32-year-old.
“Of course, it’s not a match like any other for me. In Italy I built my career, also finding an ideal country to spend my life with my family,” he said.
“On Saturday, however, there won’t be all this love. It’s a round of 16 and there will be no room for feelings.”
Freuler knows the next part of the tournament is where the Swiss will really be judged.
“Doing well in the first part of the tournament is important. The matches that make the difference, those capable of changing the dimension of a national team, however, are others,” Freuler said.
“But I’m not afraid. And Switzerland is not afraid of Italy.”
Mattia Zaccagni’s superb last-gasp strike fired Italy into the Euro 2024 knock-outs with a 1-1 draw against Croatia in a fraught Group B clash Monday.
With only two points it is unlikely Zlatko Dalic’s side will qualify as one of the four best third-place teams but it is still possible.
Croatia midfielder Luka Modric became the oldest goalscorer in the competition’s history with his strike after 55 minutes, just 33 seconds after Gianluigi Donnarumma saved the 38-year-old’s penalty.
It seemed to be enough for Croatia, but Zaccagni whipped a brilliant strike into the top corner on the break in the 98th minute to send Italy through from what was dubbed a “group of death”.
“It’s very stressful, we kept battling right until the end but unfortunately football was mercilessly with us tonight, it was cruel,” Modric said according to AFP.
“That’s part and parcel of football, often it gives you plenty of smiles but on other occasions it makes you very sad, like it did.
“The footballing gods don’t always smile on us but we should be proud for the way we’ve represented our country tonight.”
Italy coach Luciano Spalletti said his team deserved to progress.
“This is football, we believe until the end,” said Spalletti.
“We deservedly got through… maybe we are satisfied with the result, but we need to do more.”
After shipping five goals in the first two games, Dalic opted to shore up the midfield by bringing in Mario Pasalic and Luka Sucic amid four changes.
The coach also maintained the trio of Modric, Marcelo Brozovic and Mateo Kovacic despite their struggles in the 3-0 defeat by Spain and 2-2 draw against minnows Albania.
Spalletti’s Italy beat Albania 2-1 but were dominated by Spain in a 1-0 defeat and the coach shifted to a 3-5-2 formation, dropping Juventus’ Federico Chiesa.
Croatia dominated the opening exchanges against a defensive Italy side knowing a draw would send them through in second place behind group winners Spain.
On his first start at the tournament 21-year-old RB Salzburg midfielder Sucic forced a fine early save from Italy’s Gianluigi Donnarumma with a vicious drive from range.
