In the 1/8 finals of the European Championship in the early hours of June 30, 2024, defending champion Italy will face Switzerland at 0:00.
Before the game, "bald coach" Spalletti plans to make a big rotation, and is expected to change five or six starters, including Shaarawy, Chiesa Jr., Scamacca, Faggioli, Buongiorno and Mancini Jr. are expected to start. The aim of this strategy was to capitalise on the pace of Chiesa Junior and El Shaarawy to break through the Swiss defence on the right and create chances for Scamacca and Barella.
However, Italy's big rotation in this game also carries some risks. In the knockout rounds, a large-scale change in the starting line-up in a winner-or-lose game can lead to a team's tactical discomfort and possibly even a total loss.
Although the Swiss team have not won any major tournaments, they did well in the last European Championship after knocking out the favourites France. Switzerland have lost just one of their last six meetings with Italy, with the remaining five all draws. They have reason to expect to drag the game into a penalty shoot-out.
In the other 1/8 final at 3 o'clock, the host German team will face Denmark, the semi-finalist team of the last European Championship. Before the game, German media called on coach Julian Nagelsmann to include high school striker Phil Krueger in the starting line-up to replace Kai Havertz, so as to deal with the Danish backline, which averages 1.9m, and defensively against Danish strikers Hojlen and Winder, who are more than 1.90m tall.
However, Nagelsmann made it clear in his pre-match press conference that Kai Havertz was still an important player in the squad despite Phil Krueger's goalscoring efficiency, and hinted that Havertz would continue to start in the quarter-finals. In addition, suspended Jonatan Tower will be replaced by Borussia Dortmund centre-back Schlotterbeck, while main centre-back Antonio Rudiger has largely recovered and is expected to play for Denmark.
At full-back, RB Leipzig's left-back Raum is expected to start in place of Mittelstedt, who had been mediocre in the group stage. Right winger Leroy Sane may also be available, but Wirtz and Musiala are important players in Nagelsmann's tactical system, and Sane will have a hard time winning a starting place and could continue to play as a substitute.
Germany will largely follow the same framework as the previous three games in the quarter-finals, with Kroos, Gundogan, Wirtz and Musiala still dictating the quality of the team's transition between attack and defence. If Kai Havertz runs out of energy against the tall Danish centre-back, then Phil Krueger will have his own playing moment.
As the winner of the 1992 European Championship and the semi-finalists of the last European Championship, the Danish team has a tough style and excellent set-piece attack and defensive efficiency, which has brought a lot of challenges to the German team. The German team is not destined to have an easy game and will need to go all out to qualify for the next round.
These two 1/8 finals will be the focus of the matchup that fans should not miss, and it is worth looking forward to whether Italy and Germany can successfully advance in the face of strong opponents.
If Italy can overcome Switzerland, they will continue to move towards their goal of defending their title. Spalletti's tactical changes will be a key factor as he finds a balance between rotation and consistency to ensure the team can maintain a high level of competition for the upcoming games. For young players such as Chiesa Jr. and Scamacca, the European Championship is a great opportunity for them to showcase themselves and gain experience on the international stage.
A win for Switzerland against Italy would add an important piece to their history. They will need to play with the team's overall coordination and resilience, especially in defence, and create a threat on counter-attacks and set-pieces. Switzerland will be aiming to break the curse of recent knockout rounds and step into the European Championship to a higher stage.
Germany will face an even bigger challenge if they succeed in beating Denmark. Nagelsmann will need to continue to deploy his players in the game, particularly balancing the use of Kai Havertz and Phil Kruger, in order to reach their full attacking potential. For young players such as Musiala and Wirtz, the tournament is not only a showcase for talent, but also an important moment to lay a solid foundation for the future.
Denmark will once again prove their strength in Europe if they can knock out Germany. The team will need to continue to play tough and efficient set-piece tactics, especially to threaten Hojlen and Winder's height. Denmark's goal is to continue to push themselves and strive for even better results at this European Championship.
The two key matchups in the 1/8 finals will not only test the team's technical and tactical level, but also test the players' psychological quality and adaptability. Whether it's Italy, Switzerland, Germany or Denmark, being able to stand out in the fierce competition will lay a solid foundation for the future development of the team. Fans can expect more exciting moments to be played out on the field.