Football Italia
·29 June 2024
Football Italia
·29 June 2024
Italy bring back Gianluca Scamacca and Federico Chiesa, with Stephan El Shaarawy, Gianluca Mancini and Nicolò Fagioli, as they face a Switzerland side full of Serie A talent in the EURO 2024 Round of 16.
It kicks off at the Olympiastadion in Berlin at 17.00 UK time (16.00 GMT, 18.00 CET).
This is the first knockout round of the tournament, so if it’s level after 90 minutes, they go to extra time and maybe even penalties.
Luciano Spalletti is forced into some changes, as Riccardo Calafiori is suspended and Federico Dimarco injured, but Alessandro Bastoni can start after shaking off flu symptoms.
After the 1-1 draw with Croatia, Italy return to the four-man defence with Mancini and Matteo Darmian stepping in, while Fagioli is preferred to Jorginho in midfield, flanked by Bryan Cristante.
Scamacca and Chiesa are back after being benched against Croatia, but Roma winger El Shaarawy is the intriguing addition to the trident attack.
Switzerland were on the verge of winning their group until conceding a last-gasp equaliser with Germany, having beaten Hungary 3-1 and drawn 1-1 with Scotland.
Former Udinese full-back Silvan Widmer is suspended, so Leonidas Stergiou was expected to step in.
However, instead Bologna winger Dan Ndoye goes there in a more attacking formation, allowing both Ruben Vargas and Fabian Rieder to support Breel Embolo, who starts after recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament just in time for the competition.
There are several current and former Serie A players in the squad, including Bologna trio Ndoye, Michel Aebischer and Remo Freuler.
Veteran Granit Xhaka pulls the midfield strings.
Switzerland: Sommer; Schär, Akanji, Rodriguez; Aebischer, Freuler, Xhaka, Rieder; Vargas, Embolo, Ndoye
Italy: Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Mancini, Bastoni, Darmian; Barella, Fagioli, Cristante; Chiesa, Scamacca, El Shaarawy
Ref: Marciniak (POL)
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