England have the chance to make the last four of Euro 2024 as they take on Switzerland in the quarter-finals on Saturday evening in Dusseldorf.
Gareth Southgate’s side squeezed past a defiant Slovakia team last week, coming from behind to eventually win 2-1 courtesy of a dramatic 95th-minute equaliser from Jude Bellingham and an extra-time winner from Harry Kane.
And the Three Lions will need to perform far more convincingly if they are to beat a spirited Switzerland side in the last eight. The Swiss dismantled Italy in their last-16 tie, winning 2-0 thanks to goals from Remo Freuler and Ruben Vargas.
With plenty of threat provided by a Swiss supporting cast that includes Dan Ndoye and Breel Embolo, England know they will need to improve on Saturday, as the team looks to tactical changes, cohesive attacking play and decisive moments in order to book their place in the semi-finals.
Follow all the news and build-up to England v Switzerland with our live blog below::
Euro 2024: England v Switzerland
England face Switzerland at 5pm BST at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Dusseldorf | Live on BBC One
The Three Lions squeezed past Slovakia on their way to the last eight, while Switzerland beat Italy
Jude Bellingham fined and receives suspended ban for Slovakia celebration
Trippier expected to get nod over Alexander-Arnold in shift to wing-backs
England – Switzerland
England vs Switzerland latest team news
09:37 , Karl Matchett
Gareth Southgate is expected to switch to a 3-4-3 system for the quarter-final clash with Switzerland – but one unexpected change will see not Trent Alexander-Arnold coming in on the right for England, but Kieran Trippier instead switching across from left to right.
That leaves Bukayo Saka switching from right wing to left wing-back, meaning much the same XI as last time out, albeit with several switching roles.
Ezri Konsa is set to be the player replacing Marc Guehi, who is suspended, with the Aston Villa defender and Kyle Walker playing either side of John Stones in defence.
Spain break Germany hearts but dramatic Euro 2024 win may come at great cost
09:30 , Jack Rathborn
There’s no second summer fairytale for Germany, as it’s instead Spain who have the happy ending. For now. Mikel Merino ensured they rose above it all, with a brilliant header in the 119th minute. The big question as to whether they go and actually win Euro 2024 is what the cost of this 2-1 victory over the hosts will be. Toni Kroos didn’t get his grand farewell, either, as he instead contributed to a match that often turned ugly.
That meant that it didn’t quite become the game of the tournament in the manner anticipated but it was thoroughly absorbing, right until the death. And that was very, very late. It is easy to see why games like this can prevent teams from becoming champions, because of the gruelling physical and psychological cost. Spain now have Alvaro Morata and the red-carded Dani Carvajal suspended for the semi-final, with Pedri looking like he might be out injured – maybe for the summer. He was the victim of an abrasive challenge from Kroos in the opening minute, that very much set a tone.
Through that, Spain displayed another quality in a European Championships when they have already shown so many. They were the picture of perseverance. That wasn’t just because of what a gallant German team put them through but what they put themselves through.
Spain break Germany hearts but dramatic Euro 2024 win may come at great cost
England’s route to the final: Possible opponents in the Euro 2024 knockout stages
09:15 , Jack Rathborn
England left it late, but Gareth Southgate’s side are through to the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 after a dramatic victory over Slovakia in the last-16.
Jude Bellingham saved England from an embarrassing defeat with a stunning last-minute overhead kick, before Harry Kane scored at the start of extra time to send the Three Lions through.
It was shaping up to be another nightmare evening in Gelsenkirchen but Southgate was vindicated for his lack of changes as his biggest stars finally arrived to turn defeat into victory.
England will still need a huge improvement in the knockout phase of the competition if they are to live up to their pre-tournament billing as one of the favourites, but they have had a stroke of fortune with the draw.
What is England’s route to the final of Euro 2024?
How Southgate hopes the lessons of 1966 can inspire success at Euro 2024
09:00 , Jack Rathborn
t was 30 years of hurt when Gareth Southgate stepped up and missed a penalty and it was about to become at least 60 until Jude Bellingham attempted an overhead kick. Southgate makes no secret of his ambitions to emulate Sir Alf Ramsey, to double the number of trophy-winning managers in England’s history. He looks to the past to provide inspiration and lessons alike. If 1966 has become a profitable nostalgia industry, it is so long ago that many of the England players’ parents were not born. They could be forgiven for not knowing all the details.
At St George’s Park, before England ventured to Germany, Southgate turned back time. “We showed the players a presentation about 1966 and how Geoff Hurst hadn’t played until the quarter-final.” Hurst ended up the hat-trick hero in the final and if that scarcely needs explaining, some of Southgate’s charges may not know that a man who achieved immortality had entered the 1966 World Cup with a lone international goal to his name.
Plans can change en route, fringe figures can assume central roles. The path to glory is not always smooth, even if England contrived to make it look remarkably bumpy as they squeezed past Slovakia.
How Southgate hopes the lessons of 1966 can inspire success at Euro 2024
Gareth Southgate says England have found their Paul Gascoigne moment at Euro 2024
08:45 , Jack Rathborn
Gareth Southgate believes Jude Bellingham’s goal against Slovakia can be a spark for England’s tournament, like Paul Gascoigne’s goal against Scotland at Euro 96, as he made a point of stating the legend of that tournament and the 1990 World Cup has made people forget performances were initially poor.
While Southgate accepted that his team have “got to be better”, he feels that the 95th-minute equaliser to eventually eliminate Slovakia showed a “togetherness” and “spirit” essential to any tournament. The manager also believes it will “give the whole group belief”, just like Gascoigne in 1996. Southgate feels that will be essential against an “excellent” Switzerland team in the Euro 2024 quarter-final.
“Well, there’s no question it will give the whole group belief,” he said. “The boys that came on and contributed that had a big impact on what we were doing: the togetherness and the spirit that you need.
Gareth Southgate says England have found their Paul Gascoigne moment at Euro 2024
Trent Alexander-Arnold can dispel Gareth Southgate myth with obvious England change
08:30 , Jack Rathborn
The Trent Alexander-Arnold Experiment is dead. Time for another Trent Alexander-Arnold Experiment. Liverpool’s vice-captain seems a misunderstood, underused talent at international level. His time in midfield spanned 123 minutes against Serbia and Denmark and was of sufficient importance, such a scientific voyage of discovery, that it assumed a status of its own. It was an ‘Experiment’.
That it has been deemed a failure was apparent when Gareth Southgate worked his way through a series of partners for Declan Rice against Slovakia – Kobbie Mainoo for craft, Conor Gallagher for graft, Jude Bellingham for overhead kicks – and no scenario called for Alexander-Arnold.
Not as a midfielder anyway. But there felt a pressing need for Alexander-Arnold in his original incarnation, as the right-back revolutionary, the creator supreme, a player with a capacity to make the extraordinary happen. There appeared to be a shift in thought when Gary Neville, England’s most capped right-back until a couple of weeks ago, said it was “illegal” that Alexander-Arnold wasn’t playing. “He’s the best footballer at right-back we’ve ever seen in this country,” said Neville, a more prosaic talent recognising an extraordinary one.
Alexander-Arnold can dispel Southgate myth with obvious England change
England working on bold tactical switch for Euro 2024 quarter-final
08:15 , Jack Rathborn
England have been working on a back three in training ahead of the Euro 2024 quarter-final against Switzerland, with Kyle Walker moved to the right of centre-half and Bukayo Saka potentially playing as a left wingback. Gareth Southgate is now actively considering a formation change, in what could yet be a decisive mid-tournament switch.
The manager had been fretting about how his initial system hadn’t been working in four laboured displays so far but a number of factors have forced him to finally work on something different in the build-up to the Switzerland game.
The primary reason was a required change to the defence anyway, with Marc Guehi suspended after a second booking of the tournament in the 2-1 win over Slovakia.
England working on bold tactical switch for Euro 2024 quarter-final
Phil Foden reveals how England can solve attacking woes at Euro 2024
08:00 , Jack Rathborn
In a tournament where England have been criticised for not linking up well in attack, Phil Foden believes the team must come together on the pitch to solve the problem themselves and show leadership.
The playmaker admitted he has been frustrated they haven’t clicked but said that isn’t due to manager Gareth Southgate‘s tactics – rather the players must take responsibility. Foden claims they have felt inhibited due to the nature of matches and defensive opposition approaches but believes the squad need to be more proactive.
While the 24-year-old admitted that he wants to play centrally for England, he denied there is any issue in his own connection with Jude Bellingham, and believes that the performance level is growing.
Phil Foden reveals how England can solve attacking woes at Euro 2024
England v Switzerland TV channel, start time and how to watch Euro 2024 fixture online
Friday 5 July 2024 22:49 , Jack Rathborn
Euro 2024 has reached the quarter-final stage and England are still very much involved – despite having been seconds from elimination last time out and having underwhelmed throughout the tourmanent so far.
A Jude Bellingham overhead kick saved the Three Lions against Slovakia, before Harry Kane’s header in extra time won them the tie, after finishing top in the group stage despite only managing a single victory from their three games.
Improvement is expected and will be necessary, but for that to happen changes seem are no doubt needed once more in the team – and there’s still the matter of a potentially pending suspension for Bellingham to solve, after he made gestures outside the realms of “decent conduct” and was investigated by Uefa.
England v Switzerland TV channel, start time and how to watch
Jude Bellingham fined and receives suspended ban for Slovakia celebration
Friday 5 July 2024 22:47 , Jack Rathborn
Uefa have charged Jude Bellingham with “violating the basic rules of decent conduct”, but the player will not face an immediate ban.
England midfielder Bellingham was facing a ban after Uefa opened an investigation into a gesture he made while celebrating his spectacular overhead kick against Slovakia in the last-16 tie last Sunday.
In the aftermath of his goal, Bellingham was seen shouting “Who else?!” as he ran over to England fans after scoring. The Video showed the Real Madrid forward then kiss his hand and grab his crotch in a gesture which appeared to be directed towards the side of the pitch.
Amid accusations that he had disrespected the Slovakian bench or their supporters, Bellingham explained his actions on social media, tweeting: “An inside joke gesture towards some close friends who were at the game. Nothing but respect for how that Slovakia team played tonight.”
Jude Bellingham fined and receives suspended ban for Slovakia celebration