{"id":1357318,"date":"2024-06-29T19:00:53","date_gmt":"2024-06-29T18:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1357318"},"modified":"2024-06-29T19:24:02","modified_gmt":"2024-06-29T18:24:02","slug":"switzerland-2-0-italy-vargas-history-aebischer-euro-2024","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/switzerland-2-0-italy-vargas-history-aebischer-euro-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Switzerland 2-0 Italy: Potential England opponents have playmakers and goal threats everywhere"},"content":{"rendered":"

Switzerland<\/a> have reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2024<\/a> after eliminating defending champions Italy<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Murat Yak\u0131n’s men are the first nation through after winning 2-0 in Berlin this afternoon.<\/p>\n

The result means Switzerland will make only their second-ever appearance in the last eight, following Euro 2020, when Spain beat them on penalties.<\/p>\n

[dugoutvideo id=”eyJrZXkiOiIiLCJwIjoic3F1YXdrYSIsInBsIjoiS25BVzdIeXgifQ==” partner=”squawka”]<\/p>\n

Italy manager Luciano Spalletti made six changes for this round of 16 showdown. However, one was forced upon him (Gianluca Mancini coming in for the suspended Riccardo Calafiori), but it made no difference as his side was second best.<\/p>\n

It was a result built on getting off the blocks quickly. Switzerland thoroughly dominated the opening proceedings, with the red shirts predominantly camped in Italy’s half, and their possession was rewarded with a well-worked opening goal.<\/p>\n

Rub\u00e9n Vargas played a perfectly weighted low cross into the box, and Remo Freuler took a touch before slotting his effort past Gianluigi Donnarumma and into the bottom-left corner of the goal to put Switzerland ahead \u2014 the Paris Saint-Germain shot-stopper couldn’t save the Azzurri on this occasion \u2014 before half-time.<\/p>\n

No sooner after returning from the break, Nicol\u00f2 Fagioli, among those making their first starts of Euro 2024, gave the ball away, and Michel Aebischer fed Vargas, who found space on the edge of the Italian penalty area to send a superb, curling effort straight into the top corner past Donnarumma.<\/p>\n

Vargas’s goal \u2014 timed at 45:27 \u2014 is the second-fastest ever scored in the second half of a UEFA European Championship match, after Marcel Cora\u0219 for Romania versus Germany at Euro 1984 (45:21).<\/p>\n

As if that weren’t impressive enough, Vargas is the first Swiss player to score and assist in a knockout match of a major international tournament (since 1966 – World Cup and European Championship).<\/p>\n

\n

The defending champion has been knocked out in the same round at each of the last three EUROs:<\/p>\n

\u25c9 2016 ?? 0-2 ??
\u25c9 2020 ?? 0-1 ??
\u25c9 2024 ?? 0-2 ??<\/p>\n

The Not So Sweet Last 16… ?#EURO2024<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/FUbvvsCVJe<\/a><\/p>\n

— Squawka (@Squawka) June 29, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n