Italy vs. Switzerland live commentary: reigning champions trail to Freuler’s opener

Fortunately for Spalletti, who has already lost several defenders to injury and suspension this summer, Di Lorenzo is able to continue. The game resumes, with half time fast approaching.

On a hot day in the German capital, both teams are glad of a brief break, as Di Lorenzo stays down on the turf after a tackle. He will need some medical attention, as the other players take on both drinks and some tactical instructions.

GOAL!  Switzerland make the breakthrough! It’s been coming. Freuler is the unlikely figure bursting into the box to smash a low shot past Donnarumma, after cushioning a low Vargas pass into his path and firing towards the bottom-right corner. It takes a deflection before nestling in the back of the net!

GOAL!  SWITZERLAND 1-0 ITALY (FREULER)

Switzerland get in behind again: Rieder finds himself on the right byline, with a chance to cut the ball back into the box, but his attempt to cross is pretty awful and allows Donnarumma to easily collect it. Another let-off for the reigning champions.

CHANCE!  Well known to the Italian team due to his long spell at Torino, Rodriguez races forward down the left and sees some space opening up. He has an ambitious crack at goal, but the ball spins wildly off target.

Excluding shootouts, Switzerland have failed to win any of their seven previous last-16 matches at either the Euros or World Cup outright, progressing to the quarter-finals on just one occasion. They’ve been marginally the better side so far today, but they could do with a goal to reward their dominance.

Switzerland manage to clear their lines from successive Fagioli corners, before racing down the other end. On the counter, Ndoye again eludes his marker, but the Bologna winger’s low ball skids across the box and remains untouched.

CHANCE!  Akanji makes a crucial late block, after Chiesa drifts over to the left flank, then zips inside and shoots low at goal. His angled strike is goalbound, but the Manchester City defender is alert to prod it away from immediate danger.

SAVE!  Springing Italy’s offside trap with a perfectly timed run, Embolo is clear through on goal, with only Donnarumma to beat. He tries to pick out the top corner, but the Azzurri captain again saves his side by leaping to palm it away! Embolo really should’ve scored there!

After Vargas beats Di Lorenzo again, then links up with the influential Xhaka in midfield, he lays the ball off to Rieder on the edge of Italy’s area. The latter’s pass is mishit, though, and a promising attack comes to an end.

CHANCE!  Apparently recovered from his earlier knock, Barella drops a delightful free kick over the Swiss defence from 25 yards out. However, El Shaarawy scuffs it, having cleverly run clear and been played straight through on Sommer. Great invention, though.

Embolo and Vargas combine on the left, as Italy’s defence are caught momentarily out of position; however, the latter’s cross is badly mishit and Donnarumma comes out to safely pouch it.

Chiesa can’t quite keep the ball in play on the byline, but at least Italy are starting to threaten their opponents. For their part, Switzerland can be content with their start to this contest.

Fagioli’s switch of play briefly opens up the Swiss defence, but Cristante’s loose touch in the area allows Rodriguez to intervene at the cost of a corner. The set-piece ultimately comes to nothing.

Vargas is down hurt after a late challenge by Di Lorenzo, but after a brief moment of concern he returns to his feet in time to see Aebischer sling the free-kick too far into the box, allowing Donnarumma to safely gather it.

As Barella tentatively returns to the fray, Switzerland push forward again, and Ndoye fails to connect fully with a raking throughball by his captain, Xhaka. That was a decent half-chance from around 10 yards out, but he scuffed it and Donnarumma was left untroubled.

Terrible news for the Azzurri, as midfield mainstay Barella limps off injured, apparently struck down by a muscular problem. They simply cannot afford to lose the Inter Milan man at this stage.

With Switzerland probing patiently in midfield, Italy have dropped off a few yards and are sitting perhaps a little too deep. The pressure is relieved, though, when Barella drops to the turf after a challenge by Freuler.

After El Shaarawy narrowly fails to hook a bouncing ball into the six-yard box, he concedes a foul on Ndoye and Switzerland will have a free-kick deep inside their own area. It seems Italy are slowly finding their feet.

Cristante concedes a free-kick for a foul on Aebischer, one of several Serie A players in the Swiss lineup today. Italy have made some six changes to their team today, and so far it’s not quite working.

Switzerland’s early pressure pays off, earning a corner kick. Bastoni nods the set-piece delivery away, though, as Italy’s makeshift defence passes its first early test.

KICKOFF:  With a place in the last eight at stake, Switzerland – clad in all-red, Italy are in their traditional Azzurri blue – kick off this last-16 clash.

Spine-tingling stuff at the Olympiastadion! Both teams have belted out their stirring anthems, and kickoff is now just a few seconds away…

Right, then. There are only moments until Euro 2024’s knockout phase kicks off in the German capital. The national anthems are up next!

Following the draw with Germany, Switzerland have now lost only once in their last 13 European Championship matches – that sole setback was against Italy at Euro 2020. However, since winning a World Cup qualifier in 1993, they are winless in 11 games against the Azzurri across all competitions. Can they finally end that trend today?

Deep into eight minutes of second-half stoppage time, substitute Mattia Zaccagni stole a precious point by scoring Italy’s equaliser against Croatia, but he’s not rewarded with a start in the last 16. As it turned out, the Azzurri would have been eliminated if they had ended up with just three points and a negative goal difference, so they remain indebted to the Lazio forward for even being in Berlin today.

Italy boss Luciano Spalletti brings in Gianluca Mancini for suspended defender Riccardo Calafiori, also introducing Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli and Mancini’s Roma teammates Bryan Cristante and Stephan El Shaarawy to the starting XI today. Matteo Darmian deputises for Federico Dimarco at left-back, as the latter is still struggling with a calf problem. Scamacca beats Retegui to selection up front.

ITALY: Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Mancini, Bastoni, Darmian; Cristante, Fagioli, Barella; Chiesa, Scamacca, El Shaarawy
SUBS: Dimarco, Buongiorno, Gatti, Frattesi, Jorginho, Pellegrini, Raspadori, Vicario, Bellanova, Retegui, Zaccagni, Cambiaso, Folorunsho, Meret

Switzerland coach Murat Yakin selects what seems to be an attacking lineup, with suspended wing-back Silvan Widmer replaced by Fabian Rieder, and Ruben Vargas joining Dan Ndoye in support of Breel Embolo up front.