Form Switzerland Eyes History of Euro 2024 Against England

Switzerland has never advanced past the semifinals of a major international competition, but they have demonstrated their ability to compete with the big boys in advance of their Saturday Euro 2024 matchup with England. Murat Yakin's team was merciless in eliminating the unlucky tournament leaders Italy last weekend, and they came within a whisker of defeating Germany, the hosts, and winning Group A. Along with Turkey, the Swiss are one of the two so-called "dark horses" remaining in the competition; the other six are either past champions or, in the case of England, strongly favored to break through for their first European title.

After defeating Italy, Yakin remarked, "We sent out an important signal tonight with the game we played."

"We did not only club together and defend as a unit and sit back, we showed we could attack and dominate proceedings."

With a somewhat unimpressive roster that includes only two standout players—Manchester City's Manuel Akanji and midfielder Granit Xhaka of Bayer Leverkusen—Switzerland has advanced to their second consecutive Euro quarterfinal.

Instead, Switzerland has a cohesive team that is stronger than the sum of its parts. They have an excellent chance to go to a historic semi-final by defeating England, who would have already lost the tournament if Jude Bellingham hadn't pulled off a last-minute heroic against Slovakia.

Bologna colleagues Dan Ndoye, Michel Aebischer, and Remo Freuler are propelling the Swiss forward; they are leaving an impression in Germany after pushing their unfancied Serie A club to the Champions League.