Switzerland, Germany advance in Euro 2024

BERLIN, Germany — A pair of superb strikes for Switzerland by Remo Freuler and Ruben Vargas sent defending champions Italy crashing out of Euro 2024 in the round of 16 after a sloppy, rudderless display by Luciano Spalletti’s side ended in a 2-0 defeat.

Though the Swiss defended well, the Italians made their job all the easier with bad passing and poor-decision-making, giving the ball away cheaply in central positions and failing to press with any vigour as they headed for the exit.

After a slow, tenuous start on a sweltering evening in Berlin, Switzerland should have taken the lead in the 24th minute when Breel Embolo was played in, but his attempt to wait out Gianluigi Donnarumma didn’t succeed and the Italian goalkeeper comfortably parried his curled shot.

It was an early warning of what was to come, however, and the Italians could not hold on to the ball at all in the first half with even the most perfunctory passes finding a red shirt, rather than a blue one.

The only bright spot for the Italians was Stephan El Shaaraway, who had a golden chance of his own in the 26th minute with a typical jinking run, but despite doing well to get the ball back onto his right foot, his shot was blocked for a corner and, bafflingly, he was withdrawn at halftime.

Looking far more like defending champions than their sluggish opponents, the Swiss breakthrough came in the 37th minute with brilliantly-worked goal as they pulled the Italians apart.

Michel Aebischer roamed into the middle of the pitch, opening space on the left for Vargas, and though his pin-point pass tested Freuler’s first touch, the midfielder hammered the ball home to send his side in ahead at the break.

Whatever Spalletti said at half-time did not have the desired effect and his side were two down within a minute, with Italy’s ponderous, flat-footed defence taking on a spectator’s role as Vargas curled a stunning shot into the top corner.

The Swiss almost threw the Italians a lifeline in the 51st minute as Fabian Schaer’s glancing defensive header wrong-footed his own keeper Yann Sommer, leaving him to watch helplessly as the ball bounced up and kissed the far post before being cleared. With the clock ticking ominously, the Italian players seemed paralysed in the face of the stout Swiss defence, resorting to speculative long shots that did little to trouble Sommer.

The woodwork intervened again in the 74th minute as Gianluca Scammacca scuffed the ball onto the near post from close range but that was as close as Italy came, and their fans were streaming out of the stands long before the final whistle, with those left in their seats dumbstruck by their team’s insipid performance.

“That goal at the start of the second half cut our legs, we weren’t very incisive,” said Italian coach Spalletti after the game.

“What made the difference is the pace, we had a pace that was too inferior to them in the first half. Even in the individual players there was a different pace.”

As the game concluded, the Swiss fans bounced and sang, knowing that their side would be going on to meet the winner of Sunday’s tie between England and Slovakia in Duesseldforf next Saturday.

“The feeling is great because we showed a really good performance. We showed from the first second that we really wanted to win this game,” Swiss midfielder Fabian Rieder said.

Germany weathers storm to beat Denmark

DORTMUND, Germany (Reuters) — Kai Havertz and Jamal Musiala’s second-half goals sent Germany into the Euro 2024 quarter-finals with a 2-0 win over Denmark on Saturday after their last-16 clash was delayed by thunderstorm.

The game was suspended for 20 minutes in the first half due to the weather before Danish defender Joachim Andersen went from hero to zero when his close-range finish was disallowed for offside and he conceded a penalty converted by Havertz in the 53rd minute.

Nico Schlotterbeck earlier had a goal ruled out for a foul in the build-up as Germany started strongly in front of an expectant crowd, but Denmark grew into the game and went close either side of halftime.

The hosts established an unassailable lead in the 68th minute, however, when Musiala ran on to a ball over the top and curled home his third goal of the tournament to put Germany into the last eight, where they will face Spain or Georgia.

Musiala equalled Georgia’s Georges Mikautadze as Euro 2024 top-scorer with three goals, as Germany recorded their first major tournament knockout win for eight years after being eliminated in the group stage at the last two World Cups and in the Euro 2020 last 16.

Germany started the game fast and goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel was forced to make several save as Denmark struggled to create any type of combinations, barely crossing the halfway line in the first 15 minutes.

Buried deep with a back five that was just trying to survive Germany’s onslaught, Denmark were lucky to avoid conceding in the opening half an hour.

They grew into the game, however, and Christian Eriksen almost scored from a counter-attack before the match was suspended in the 35th minute due to lightning and thunder as torrential rain poured down at the Dortmund BVB Stadion.

The game was stopped for over 20 minutes when referee Michel Oliver ordered the players to return to the pitch for a brief warm-up and Germany almost scored when Havertz’s header was brilliantly saved by Schmeichel.

Denmark thought they had taken the lead when Andersen fired in a lose ball inside the box after a free kick, but the effort was ruled out by the VAR.

Three minutes later, VAR intervened again to flag to the referee a handball inside the box by Andersen, who accidentally touched David Raum’s cross with his right hand.

Havertz scored with a tidy finish as the stadium exploded in joy and, with Denmark chasing an equaliser, they were often exposed to counter-attacks and Havertz and Leroy Sane missed good close-range chances.