In the early morning of June 30, Beijing time, the 1/8 finals of the European Cup began, and the defending champion Italy faced Switzerland, ranked 19th in the world. Originally, Italy was regarded as the favorite to win the tournament and ranked 9th in the world, but considering the record of 1 win, 1 draw and 1 loss in the group stage, it may not be able to take advantage of the Switzerland competition. Sure enough, the Swiss team attacked fiercely in the first half, and Freuler made a contribution. Just 27 seconds into the second half, the Swiss team scored a lightning goal to extend the result 2-0. In the end, Switzerland, a small country with a population of 8.7 million, defeated Italy 2-0, and the defending champions were upset and eliminated from the round of 16.
In the first half, the Swiss team frequently threatened the Italian team's goal, and in the 24th minute, Embolo had a one-on-one chance, but it was saved by Donnarumma, and the Italian team escaped. However, luck did not always favor the defending champions, and in the 37th minute, Vargas crossed and Fruller volleyed home with his left foot, giving Switzerland the lead to take a 1-0 lead over Italy. Throughout the half, the Italian team's defense was full of holes, and the midfield was unavailable, which can be said to be full of dangers.
Half-time statistics, the Swiss team beat Italy. Possession was 58-42 per cent, and even more outrageous were the shots on goal, with 3 of 10 shots on target from the Swiss half, 0 on target from 1 for Italy, and 273-180 passes. Italy is a traditional powerhouse in Europe and the winner of the last European Cup, but I didn't expect that since the start of the group stage, the Italian team has been weak in attack, whether it is on the left or right side of the defense, it is like sleepwalking, and now it has paid a heavy price in the knockout round.
In the second half, the Swiss team's frenzied attack came. Just 27 seconds into the game, Italy made a mistake in passing, the Swiss team broke the ball and counterattacked, Vargas scored in the far corner, the Swiss team led 2-0, and Italy was in a desperate situation. In the 63rd minute, the Italian team made a substitution, Barella came off the field and replaced the center Retegui, and in the 70th minute, the Swiss team replaced Vargas and Reed, and replaced Zubel and Stegio to ensure the intensity of the defensive end.
Time was running out for Italy, but the Swiss did not stop attacking, and in the 83rd minute, his teammates went straight and Zubair followed up with a shot, but unfortunately the goal was sliding. The Italian team began to panic at the last moment, but unfortunately it was too late, most of the time unhurried, and the passing was careless, and the elimination was also self-inflicted. In the end, the Italian team lost 0-2 to Switzerland and was eliminated, and participated in 4 games in this European Championship with 1 win, 1 draw and 2 losses.
Congratulations to Switzerland for reaching the last 8 and becoming the first team to qualify for the knockout rounds of this tournament, and it was the defending champions who have been eliminated, so you can celebrate and maybe even create even bigger surprises in the future!