England come into this game after a last-gasp win against Slovakia, with Jude Bellingham scoring a fantastic overhead kick to tie the game at 1-1 which took it to extra time, where Harry Kane’s goal was enough to get England into the quarter-finals.
There has been a lot of media attention around England’s campaign so far, with two draws and a tight win over Serbia in the group stage throwing doubt into their ‘favourites’ label. However, many fans are hoping that the fashion of their victory over Slovakia will spur a change in their form.
Switzerland have been labelled as the ‘dark horse’ of Euro 2024 after some unexpectedly fantastic performances throughout the tournament so far. They reached this round after knocking out the defending champions Italy with a comfortable 2-0 victory in Berlin.
Despite the fantastic quality within the England squad, many are tipping Switzerland to cause an upset in Dusseldorf due to their exciting attacking style paired with an ability to neutralise every attack they have faced so far this tournament.
With their victory over Italy alongside a draw with hosts Germany in the group stage, they have proven to be an incredibly hard team to beat. With England seemingly stuck in a rut, Switzerland fans will feel like they have every chance of causing yet another upset.
With a place in the semi-final against either Netherlands or Turkey on the line, both teams will believe that success in Dusseldorf will give them a great chance at reaching the final in Berlin next week.
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England have had their fair share of injury concerns throughout this tournament and they will not go away. Kieran Trippier was substituted early in the Slovakia game due to injury, meaning England have no fit left-backs left in the squad.
The defence also took another hit in their last game, as Marc Guehi’s yellow card means he is ineligible for this vital game. After starring in Harry Maguire’s absence, many fans are worried that this defence will struggle without the 23-year-old.
Jude Bellingham is also under investigation for a gesture he made during their victory over Slovakia, with many wondering whether his punishment could include a potential suspension for the Switzerland game. It is certainly one to keep an eye on in the coming days.
Switzerland have no new injury concerns from their victory over Italy. Granit Xhaka has been training individually but Swiss manager Murat Yakin has insisted his involvement in the game is not in doubt.
It is a massive boost to have their best players available and they will need them in order to defeat a team of England’s quality. They may have been on a run of poor performances but they are still picking up results and will still cause issues.
It is being tipped to be a fantastic battle between two great sides, but only one can progress to the semi-finals in Dortmund. Who will it be? Find out this Saturday at 6:00pm (CEST).
