Can these Arsenal and Liverpool stars stop Italy from romping to another win? – originally posted on Sportslens.com
Italy will become the first team to qualify for the knock-out stages of Euro 2020 if they beat Switzerland at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday night.
After missing out on the 2018 World Cup, the Italians marked their return to a major international tournament with an overwhelming 3-0 win over Turkey at this exact venue.
Meanwhile, Switzerland spurned a one-goal lead against Wales, with Kieffer Moore steering his team to a 1-1 stalemate following Breel Embolo’s opener.
Note: You can watch all Euro 2020 games via live streaming.
Italy Preview
Despite the absence of Paris Saint-Germain stalwart Marco Verratti, Italy utterly outclassed Turkey in their tournament opener.
Chelsea deep-lying playmaker Jorginho kept the Italian side ticking over throughout the entire 90 minutes, with Manchester City’s transfer target Manuel Locatelli enjoying a decent game.
Italy dominated the ball possession (61%), with the midfield duo coupled by Inter Milan’s Nicolo Barella preventing Turkey from creating a single clear-cut chance.
Ciro Immobile opened his account at the European Championships, latching onto the rebound after Ugurcan Cakir thwarted Leonardo Spinazzola’s powerful attempt.
Considering the Roma wing-back’s performance against Turkey, Chelsea outcast Emerson Palmieri seems unlikely to take part in the competition.
Suggested Article: Turkey 0-3 Italy: Player ratings as Azzurri cruise to victory in opener.
Switzerland Preview
A 1-1 stalemate with Wales on Matchday 1 means Vladimir Petkovic’s men have drawn each of their last four matches at the European Championships.
Switzerland could become the first team ever to draw five consecutive games in the competition, though Xherdan Shaqiri will try to lead his team to a much-needed success.
The 29-year-old forward was a bit-part player at Liverpool in 2020/21, but he remains the beating heart of this Swiss team.
Since 2014, Shaqiri has been directly involved in 50% of Switzerland’s goals at major tournaments.
The Reds winger latest assist for Embolo marked his eighth goal contribution at both World Cups and European Championships in the past seven years.
Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka also put on a solid performance in the inaugural game of the tournament.
Using his clever movements and pinpoint passing, Xhaka helped his team control possession and tempo.
Suggested Article: Wales 1-1 Switzerland: Player ratings from tense draw.
Italy vs Switzerland Head-To-Head
The Italians have been ruthless against Switzerland on home soil, losing just once in their last 24 meetings at home (W18, D5), courtesy of a 1-0 defeat in a friendly almost 39 years ago.
Additionally, Gli Azzurri have not lost any of their last nine matches against the Nati (W4, D4), home and away, last succumbing to a 1-0 reverse to this opposition 28 years ago.
The low-scoring theme has highlighted the recent head-to-head clashes between Italy and Switzerland, with each of the last three featuring under 2.5 total goals.
Italy vs Switzerland Predicted Line-ups
Italy (4-3-3): Gianluigi Donnarumma; Alessandro Florenzi, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Spinazzola; Nicolo Barella, Jorginho, Manuel Locatelli; Domenico Berardi, Ciro Immobile, Lorenzo Insigne.
Switzerland (3-4-1-2): Yann Sommer; Nico Elvedi, Fabian Schar, Manuel Akanji; Kevin Mbabu, Remo Freuler, Granit Xhaka, Ricardo Rodriguez; Xherdan Shaqiri; Breel Embolo, Mario Gavranovic.
Also Read: Euro 2020 Fixtures & Results.
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Author:markovrakela