Switzerland vs Italy LIVE SCORE: Defending champions kick off last 16 against in-form neighbours – latest updates

Switzerland 0-0 Italy

5. Half the pitch is covered by the shadow of the Olympiastadion, but the rest is bathed in the early evening sunshine.

“I’m surprised to see Italy press so quickly in this heat,” notes Danny Murphy on BBC co-commentary.

Switzerland 0-0 Italy

3. The Swiss have made a strong start here.

Embolo had a shot blocked after just 14 seconds, some nine seconds quicker than the record-breaking goal the Italians conceded against Albania.

That’s not the end of the early Switzerland pressure either. A Freuler shot from outside the box loops up and goes for a corner, that is eventually well defended by Mancini.

Kick-off – Switzerland v Italy

1. Peeeeeeeep! Polish referee Szymon Marciniak blows his whistle and Switzerland – all in red – get this knockout match underway in Berlin.

The Italians, World Cup winners in this stadium 18 years ago, are all in blue, and eager to defend their European title.

Here come the two teams!

The aperitif that was the group stage has been dealt with, and now it’s time for the main course.

And first up, it’s the pasta masters of Italy and the hot chocolate of Switzerland.

Gianluigi Donnarumma was crowned Player of the Tournament at the last European Championship, and he’s front and centre as captain three years later in leading the reigning champions out.

Across for him at the Olympiastadion is Granit Xhaka, the Swiss skipper and their Mr Reliable in midfield.

Over the next two hours – maybe more – one of these two will lead their nations into the last eight with many of their teammates taking on starring roles.

This historic venue is the perfect setting to get the Round of 16 underway, and the weather conditions look equally adept for tournament football.

Kick-off comes next.

El Shaarawy’s shock selection

Few expected to see Stephan El Shaarawy’s name in the Italian line-up this afternoon, but Luciano Spalletti has trusted him with an important role it the Azzurri attack.

This evening will be only the forward’s second appearance for Italy at an international tournament after appearing against the Republic of Ireland at Euro 2016, eight years and seven days ago.

It is the second largest gap between appearances for an Italian player at a major competition after Ciro Ferrara in June 2000 (9 years and 348 days after his first appearance).

How the sides shape up

Azzurri faves for final eight

Reigning European Champions Italy are expected to make it through to the quarter-finals of this year’s edition but they will be given a game by the Swiss. That’s the view of the bookies, who have the Azzurri as odds-against favourites while their opponents are a touch bigger than 2/1.

• Switzerland win 21/10
• Draw 15/8
• Italy win 13/8

To reach the quarter-finals:

• Switzerland to qualify Evens
• Italy to qualify 8/11

Odds from William Hill correct at time of post publication.

Italian feel to Swiss squad

Long gone are the days of international football pitting two unfamiliar sets of players and cultures against each other.

Six of Switzerland’s 26-man squad currently play their football in Serie A, five of whom start today.

Yann Sommer (Inter), Ricardo Rodriguez (Torino), Remo Freuler (Bologna), Michel Aebischer (Bologna) and Dan Ndoye (Bologna) are all well known to fans of the Italian game.

Don’t bet against extra-time

If you’re expecting a straightforward evening of knockout football that lasts little more than 90 minutes, then you might want to think again.

And that’s because 15 of Italy’s last 26 knockout matches at major tournaments have gone to extra-time, including four of their last five.

Overall, the Azzurri have had more games go to extra-time than any other nation at World Cups and European Championships, and have contested the joint-most penalty shootouts along with Spain (11).

Spalletti switches up Azzurri

After changing things up for the group game with Croatia, Italy head coach Luciano Spalletti again rotates his squad.

Federico Dimarco is injured and Riccardo Calafiori suspended, and they join Jorginho, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Giacomo Raspadori and Mateo Retegui in dropping out of the starting XI.

Gianluca Mancini comes into a defence which is now a back four, while Nicolo Barella is now joined in midfield by Bryan Cristante and Nicolo Fagioli.

Up front, former West Ham striker Gianluca Scamacca plays in between the supporting Federico Chiesa and Stephan El Shaarawy.

Italy (4-3-3): 1 Donnarumma; 2 Di Lorenzo, 17 Mancini, 23 Bastoni, 13 Darmian; 16 Cristante, 21 Fagioli, 19 Barella; 14 Chiesa, 9 Scamacca, 22 El Shaarawy

Subs: 12 Vicario, 26 Meret, 3 Dimarco, 4 Buongiorno, 6 Gatti, 7 Frattesi, 8 Jorginho, 10 Pellegrini, 11 Raspadori, 15 Bellanova, 19 Retegui, 20 Zaccagni, 24 Cambiaso, 25 Folorunsho

Vargas starts for Swiss

Murat Yakin makes one enforced change to the Switzerland side that pushed hosts Germany all the way to the final whistle last time out.

Silvan Widmer is suspended after collecting two yellow cards in the group stage, and so he is replaced n the right by the more attacking Ruben Vargas.

It’s a switch that’s likely to see Michael Aebischer playing in behind Vargas with Fabian Rieder operating back out on the left.

Breel Embolo continues in attack following his recent injury woe while Granit Xhaka captains the team from the heart of midfield.

Switzerland (3-4-3): 1 Sommer; 22 Schar, 5 Akanji, 13 Rodriguez; 20 Aebischer, 8 Freuler, 10 Xhaka, 26 Rieder; 17 Vargas, 7 Embolo, 19 Ndoye

Subs: 12 Mvogo, 21 Kobel, 2 Stergiou, 4 Elvedi, 6 Zakaria, 9 Okafor, 11 Steffen, 14 Zuber, 15 Zesiger, 16 Sierro, 18 Duah, 23 Shaqiri, 24 Jashari, 25 Amdouni

Assured Azzurri dominating Swiss

This evening’s encounter in Berlin will be the fifth meeting between Switzerland and Italy in a major international tournament.

The Swiss won the first two games, both at the 1954 World Cup – 2-1 in the group and then 4-1 in a group play-off – but that’s as good as it’s got for the Red Crosses.

The Italians have been 3-0 group stage victors in each of the last two such fixtures, at the 1962 World Cup, and – more recently – Euro 2020.

In fact, since prevailing 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 currently on a longer winless run against England (13) and Russia (12), while Italy are only on longer unbeaten streaks against Finland (14) and Turkey (13).

Good afternoon from Berlin

Welcome to live coverage of Switzerland against Italy in the Last 16 of Euro 2024.

It’s the first day of the knockout stage, and so it is fitting that we begin with the reigning champions.

Mind you, they nearly didn’t make it this far in their defence at all.

Had it not been for Mattia Zaccagni’s 90+8th minute equaliser against Croatia in Leipzig on Monday, then the Azzurri would already be back home having failed to make it out of Group B as one of the best third-placed teams.

But the Italians are renowned slow starters, and a test against the Swiss this evening could prove the perfect opportunity to kickstart this summer’s campaign.

In contrast, the Rossocrociati eased their way out of Group A – and almost beat hosts Germany to top spot until an injury time goal from Niclas Fullkrug denied them at the last six days ago.

Murat Yakin’s men are now eager to at least replicate their quarter-final showing of the last Euros when they sparkled at this stage of the tournament with an epic comeback against France before prevailing on penalties.

So which nation will be the first to book a place in the quarters? It’s almost time to find out.

It’s a 5pm kick-off in the German capital, and team news is on the way.