After edging past Slovakia in the Euro 2024 last-16, England will take on Switzerland this afternoon as they look to book their spot in the semi-final.
Jude Bellingham's 95th-minute acrobatic effort bailed England out after another lacklustre performance from Gareth Southgate's side, with Harry Kane then scoring in extra-time to secure a 2-1 win over Slovakia. The victory set up a quarter-final clash with Switzerland after their 2-0 win over Italy, with the winner of today's clash facing either Netherlands or Turkyie in the Euro 2024 semi-finals.
It's looking like England will switch to a three-at-the-back formation against Switzerland, a set up that has worked well for Southgate in the past. Ezri Konsa is expected to come into the team with Marc Guehi suspended, while Trent Alexander-Arnold could also return to the starting XI at right wing-back.
So can England secure their spot in the Euro 2024 semi-final? Let's take a look...
We simulated England vs Switzerland to get a score prediction
To complete this simulation, we used the EA FC 24 Euro 2024 game mode and updated the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions.
We predict that England could line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with their starting XI as follows: Pickford; Walker, Stones, Konsa; Alexander-Arnold, Mainoo, Rice, Saka; Bellingham, Foden; Kane.
We predict that Switzerland could set up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with their line-up as follows: Sommer; Schar, Akanji, Rodriguez; Widmer, Freuler, Xhaka, Aebischer; Vargas, Ndoye; Embolo.
The new setup worked in England's favour in the early stages of the game, with Alexander-Arnold and Bukayo Saka seeing lots of the ball on either wing. Phil Foden was allowed to drift centrally without abandoning the left side of the pitch, and the Man City man was influential for the Three Lions in the first half.
Foden almost sent his side into the lead 14 minutes in when his one-two with Bellingham saw him break through the Switzerland defence, but after rounding the 'keeper, the angle became too narrow as he fired his shot into the side netting. The domination continued as half-time approached, and just before the break, England took a deserved lead.
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As Kobbie Mainoo picked up the ball in a deep position, the midfielder surged into the heart of the opponent's defence, drifting past two midfielders before handing off possession to Harry Kane. Mainoo continued his run as Kane cleverly backheeled the ball back into his path, and a lovely curled finish nestled into the top corner to make it 1-0.
Southgate's side almost made it 2-0 a minute after the restart when a long ball forward picked out the run of Alexander-Arnold on the right, and the defender tried his luck with a shot from 30 yards out, but his strike rattled the post. Switzerland had offered little going forward, and in the 64th minute, England doubled their lead to put one foot in the semi-finals.
Granit Xhaka was dispossessed by Bellingham's high press on the halfway line, allowing the Three Lions to hit Switzerland on the break. Bellingham picked out Foden's darting run with a perfectly weighted pass, and on his right foot, the midfielder rifled his shot into the bottom corner.
Two goals down, Murat Yakin looked to his bench for inspiration, and his subs almost made an instant impact as Noah Okafor forced Jordan Pickford into a fantastic reaction save from inside the box. Switzerland were unable to find a route back into the game as England held out for an impressive victory in Dusseldorf.
EA FC 24 predicted final score: England 2-0 Switzerland
What do you think the score will be between England and Switzerland? Let us know in the comments!
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