England secured a 1-1(5-3)victory over Switzerland, to progress to the Semi Finals of Euro Cup 2024.
Match Result
Regulation Time: England 1-1 Switzerland
Penalty Shootout: England 5-3 Switzerland
Goalscorers:
England: Saka- 80 Min Assist- Rice
Switzerland: Embolo -75 Min 
First Half Analysis
The first half has been a tale of two halves . The first 15-20 minutes were dominated by Switzerlwnd who had the better of the chances while the three Lions were absorbing it all .. there were a few scares but never really anything that opened them up completely. I
n the second half of the first half , England fought back as the tempo of the Swiss players slowly began to fade away and England began piling chances with Mainoo and Saka leading the line but nothing ended up separating the two teams in a half that albeit exciting didn’t have the bite of a knock out as evident with no added time being given , both the camps would be hoping for a better second half.
Key Points
- England’s change of formation brings first-half statistical domination after the initial Swiss blitz.
- Saka and Mainoo shine for England, Embolo held his own for Switzerland
- Both the teams lacked the final killer instinct to inflict a breakthrough
Second Half Highlights
The second started almost as a repeat of second half as the Swizz infiltrated the English midfield and defence like their famous army knives, and unlike the first half didn’t give England and inch and managed to draw first blood via a Breel Embolo stealh strike thanks to a deflection by Stones. But their joy was short-lived as Saka produced something out of nothing as his strike deflected from the post into the back of the net to take the game to extra time.
The extra time was a cagey affair where except for a Declan Rice shot saved by Sommer and a couple saves made by Pickford, nothing much happend and the match went to penalties. A shootout where Manuel Akanji had to eat his words as his miss was the difference between Engaknd progressing and an early flight home for the Swizz contingent .
Key Points
- Embolo poaches a goal to put Switzerland in front
- Saka wonder strike puts Engkand on level terms
- The Swizz stole the show in second half as the Three Lions mustered an xG of just 0.66 to Switzerland’s 1.49
Match Defining Moments
Embolo strikes first blood: Embolo with a fox in a box kind of finish after a Vargas low cross go deflected by Stones as Breel got behind Walker to just about send it home.
England goes Waka Waka for Saka: Despite being the 2nd best team in the 2nd half till this moment , the Swiss defender for just a moment allowed Saka to cut Inside… and although 9/10 times nothing actual comes from the position Saka had taken this shot for , he here showed why he is so highly rated and slotted an inch perfect grounded attempt home giving the three Lions the chance to take this game deep into extra time.
Akanji makes Shikanji of his spot kick: Aided with the delay for the kick , this helped disrupt the momentum of Akanji and he fluffed his lines with Pickford reading him like a book and putting England ahead on penalties which they went on to win 5-3
Implications and Future Prospects
For England: This victory keeps their journey to finally bringing it home alive with a nervy shootout win buring the ghost of last edition’s final. Their were moments of individual brilliance from Saka and Pickford and for brief moments the three.lions with a changed formation seemed to click.. but luck. and phases of good play can only take ome so far and they would be hoping to make a statement win in the semi-final.
For Switzerland: This defeat brings an end to their journey of.this editions EUROS but they would be proud of their journey and with 7 goal contributors this time round they really showed they contribute together as a team.They need to just be a little.bit more ruthless in attavk and this campaign overall would do them a world of good when they next step on the field.for their nations leage fixture.
Conclusion
England’s individual brilliance , their ability their resilience to absorb the swiss army like onslaught especially during the second half and their ability to hold their nerves and convert their spot kicks proved decisive in this tightly contested match. As the tournament progresses, their unpredictability makes them strong contenders for the UEFA 2024.
Switzerland, despite this setback, have exceeded their expectations and would look to build upon this outing going further in future competitions than they have managed to this time around.
