Euro 2024: England and Switzerland Battle for a Semifinal Berth

England will face Switzerland in the European Championship quarterfinals on Saturday. England's performance against Slovakia, which they won in extra time, drew criticism from fans. Meanwhile, Switzerland surprised many by eliminating defending champions Italy. The winner of this match will meet either the Netherlands or Turkey in the semifinals. The game kicks off at 6 p.m. local time (1600 GMT) in Duesseldorf.

Match Facts

England is participating in its fourth quarterfinal under manager Gareth Southgate, having won two of the previous three. Southgate's cautious approach has been criticised by fans, some of whom threw plastic cups at him during the group stage. Jude Bellingham's last-minute overhead kick against Slovakia was a highlight of Euro 2024, pushing the game into extra time. Defender John Stones mentioned that surviving that close call boosted the team's confidence.

Switzerland's coach Murat Yakin has gained recognition for his tactical acumen at Euro 2024, particularly after outplaying an Italian team with more renowned players in the round of 16. England's match comes just two days after a general election ended 14 years of Conservative Party rule, but this political shift hasn't affected the team. Stones described the camp as a "politics-free zone."

Team News

Bellingham is available to play after avoiding an immediate ban from UEFA for an allegedly crude gesture during the Slovakia game. UEFA fined him 30,000 euros ($32,500) and imposed a one-game ban that will only take effect if he reoffends within a year. Bellingham denied mocking Slovakia when he appeared to gesture towards his crotch.

England defender Marc Guéhi is suspended due to a second booking against Slovakia. Ezri Konsa, who substituted in extra time during that match, is expected to replace him alongside Stones in defence. Stones wore heavy strapping on his right knee during training but confirmed he is fit to play.

Bellingham, forward Phil Foden, and full-back Kieran Trippier are among five England players who risk missing the semifinals if booked against Switzerland. Swiss captain Granit Xhaka is one of four Swiss players in a similar situation. Xhaka trained individually earlier this week but is fit to play, according to Yakin.

By The Numbers

This match marks Southgate's 100th game as England manager and could be his last since his contract expires after the tournament. Switzerland hasn't beaten England in 43 years; Harry Kane scored the winning goal in their last encounter, a 2-1 friendly win for England in 2022.

This is only the third time Switzerland has reached the quarterfinals of a major tournament and they have yet to make it to a semifinal. Their best European Championship performance was a penalty-shootout loss to Spain in the Euro 2020 quarterfinals.

What They're Saying

"The other night, I thought we were going home after 60 minutes of the game. To change the mindset of us all and keep that belief and faith, it's got a lot of power behind that for ourselves, other teams. Everyone watching at home knows that we're there to do it right until the last minute, literally. And, I think we should take great confidence from that," said England defender John Stones.

"No matter how they played, they are in the quarterfinals, so no one is interested how they played in the group stage and in the games before that. They have a lot of quality and any time they can hurt their opponents, so we need to be prepared for that," warned Switzerland defender Fabian Schär.

The anticipation for this quarterfinal clash is high as both teams aim to secure their place in the semifinals.