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BERLIN — A pair of superb strikes from Remo Freuler and Ruben Vargas for Switzerland sent defending champions Italy crashing out of the European soccer championship in the round of 16 after a sloppy, rudderless display by Luciano Spalletti's side.
Though the Swiss defended well, the Italians made their job all the easier with bad passing and poor-decision-making, giving the ball away cheaply in central positions and failing to press with any vigor as they headed for the exit.
Italy vs Switzerland highlights
After a slow, tenuous start on a sweltering evening in Berlin, Switzerland should have taken the lead in the 24th minute when Breel Embolo was played in, but his attempt to wait out Gianluigi Donnarumma didn't succeed and the Italian goalkeeper comfortably parried his curled shot.
SWITZERLAND WITH A CHANCE
Donnarumma with a HUGE save for Italy pic.twitter.com/Wu89qjYfRE— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 29, 2024
Looking far more like defending champions than the men in blue, the Swiss breakthrough came 13 minutes later with a brilliantly-worked goal as they pulled the Italians out of position, Freuler hammering the ball home from a pin-point pass by Vargas.
SWITZERLAND BREAKS THROUGH
Remo Freuler finally breaks down the Italy defense and finds the back of the net pic.twitter.com/caeev9wiEB— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 29, 2024
Whatever Spalletti said at half-time did not have the desired effect and his side were two down within a minute, with Italy's ponderous, flat-footed defense taking on a spectator's role as Vargas curled a stunning shot into the top corner.
ANOTHER FOR SWITZERLAND ✌️
Switzerland now holds a 2-0 lead over the defending champs in the second half pic.twitter.com/4fvhW4HKss— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 29, 2024
The Swiss almost threw the Italians a lifeline in the 51st minute as Fabian Schaer's glancing header wrong-footed keeper Yann Sommer, leaving him to watch helplessly as the ball bounced up and kissed the far post before being cleared.
OFF THE POST
Switzerland nearly gave one right back to Italy pic.twitter.com/6DfQgsUmKM— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 29, 2024
With the clock ticking ominously, the Italian players seemed paralyzed in the face of the Swiss defense, resorting to speculative long shots that did little to trouble Sommer.
The woodwork intervened again in the 74th minute as Gianluca Scammacca scuffed the ball onto the near post from close range but that was as close as they came, and Italian fans were streaming out of the stands long before the final whistle, with those left in their seats dumbstruck by their team's insipid performance.
ITALY OFF THE POST pic.twitter.com/RKtcuyqwE3
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 29, 2024
"That goal at the start of the second half cut our legs, we weren't very incisive," said Italian coach Spalletti after the game.
"What made the difference is the pace, we had a pace that was too inferior to them in the first half. Even in the individual players there was a different pace."
As the game concluded, the Swiss fans bounced and sang, knowing that their side would be going on to meet the winner of Sunday's tie between England and Slovakia in Duesseldforf next Saturday, while the Italians are headed home.
(Reporting by Nick Said; Editing by Toby Chopra)
