Switzerland vs Italy Matchday Stats Preview

This will be Switzerland and Italy’s fifth meeting at a major international tournament; the Swiss won both games at the 1954 World Cup (2-1 in group and 4-1 in group play-off) but Italy have won the last two, both in the group stages and both times 3-0 wins in the 1962 World Cup and at EURO 2020.

Since winning 1-0 in a May 1993 World Cup qualifier, Switzerland are winless in 11 matches against Italy in all competitions (D6 L5). They are only on longer current winless runs against England (13 games) and Russia (12, incl. games as USSR), while Italy are only on longer current unbeaten runs against Finland (14) and Türkiye (13).

Switzerland have reached the knockout stages at each of the last six major international tournaments (EUROs/World Cup) since the start of the 2014 World Cup. The only European nation currently enjoying a longer such run is France (7 in a row).

15 of Italy’s last 26 knockout matches at major international tournaments have gone to extra-time, including four of their last five. Overall, the Italians have seen more games go extra-time than any other nation across the World Cup + EURO (21) and only Spain (11) have contested more shootouts than they have (10).

Excluding shootouts, Switzerland have failed to win any of their seven round of 16 matches at major international tournaments (EUROs/World Cup – D3 L4), progressing to the quarter finals on just one occasion (EURO 2020, eliminating France on penalties).

Italy have conceded exactly once in each of their last seven UEFA EURO matches and haven’t conceded more than once at a major tournament (World Cup/EURO) since losing 4-0 to Spain in the EURO 2012 final, a run of 18 games which is the second-longest of any European nation behind Spain, whose last game in a 19-game run of not conceding more than one goal was the 4-0 win over Italy at EURO 2012.

Switzerland have lost just one of their last 13 matches at the European Championship (W4 D8), a 3-0 loss to Italy in the group stage at EURO 2020. Indeed, since the start of EURO 2016, the Swiss have drawn more games than any other side at the tournament (8) with all three of their knockout stage games at the European Championship going to penalties (progressed once and eliminated twice).

Italy have won both of their UEFA EURO round of 16 games at EURO 2016 (2-0 vs Spain) and EURO 2020 (2-1 vs Austria). The last European Championship tournament that didn’t feature Italy in the quarter-finals was back in 2004, when they went out in the group stage.

Remo Freuler has assisted three goals in his last four UEFA EURO appearances for Switzerland. The only Swiss player with more assists at the European Championship is Steven Zuber (4).

Gianluigi Donnarumma made 11 saves for Italy in the EURO 2024 group stages, the most by an Italian goalkeeper in the group stages of a major tournament since Gianluigi Buffon at EURO 2012 (also 11).