England vs Switzerland live: score, analysis and updates from Euro 2024

Switzerland have started targeting Kieran Trippier and England’s left. There was a good spell of possession from Murat Yakin’s side. England’s supporters are noisy, trying to lift Gareth Southgate’s side again. They haven’t stopped singing in this half.

Five England players — Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Kieran Trippier, Kobbie Mainoo and Conor Gallagher — are a booking away from missing a potential semi-final. So far England have kept their composure well thus far while also being aggressive. Remember that cautions are wiped at the end of this round.

Murat Yakin, the Switzerland head coach, is the first to blink. Steven Zuber is on for Fabian Rieder, while Silvan Widmer has replaced Ruben Vargas. England have yet to make a substitution.

Paul Joyce: There still has not been enough cutting edge from England. Harry Kane has found it difficult to make an impression, though he is being closely monitored by Manchester City’s Switzerland defender Manuel Akanji. This has been better from England, but more va-va-voom in the final third is required.

Paul Joyce: Ezri Konsa has portrayed himself as the joker around the England camp, someone who viewed one of his roles as keeping spirits high in the group. His room at the team’s headquarters back in Blankenhain has become an unofficial hub for the players to keep abreast of ITV show Love Island.

On his full tournament debut, the Aston Villa defender has done his bit to keep Gareth Southgate smiling with a composed display so far in what was an unfamiliar role on the left of England’s back three. He has been assured defensively, winning an excellent header above Dan Ndoye early on to settle his nerves, and also displayed composure on the ball. Marc Guéhi’s absence through suspension has been handled seamlessly. Thankfully, Konsa is back on his feet after receiving a whack of his knee from Breel Embolo’s follow-through.

Breel Embolo has had Switzerland’s first shot on target but it is a tame effort on the turn that Jordan Pickford saves easily.

Ezri Konsa looks in a lot of pain after the passage, having clashed knees with Embolo. Fortunately for England, he is fine to continue.

No changes for either team at half-time. Ecstasy, agony, or extra-time is only 45 minutes away.

“It’s nice to be able to be positive,” Gary Lineker says on BBC One. High praise for two of England’s more inexperienced internationals followed.

Micah Richards on Ezri Konsa: “It’s one of the biggest games of his career. Can you control your nerves? Can you do the basics very well? He’s done all of those things.

“His positioning has been great and this is why they’ve had no shots on target: because he’s putting his body on the line. His overall game has been fantastic.”

Rio Ferdinand on Kobbie Mainoo: “He just doesn’t look like a teenager. He is a prefect with the young kids in a school and he is saying, ‘This is what you do, this is how you do it, just give the ball to me and I’ll lend it here and there.’”

Paul Joyce: It feels like Bukayo Saka can be the key for England if they can get him the ball quickly. He has had the beating of Michel Aebischer throughout the opening half and the Switzerland wingback has rarely been able to attack himself. He was fortunate not to concede a penalty in the closing stages to the half as Saka tumbled to the turf.

Switzerland have not found the verve of their previous displays and have retreated into something of a defensive shell, bursting out only sporadically.

Saka had the beating of Aebischer for much of the first half

CARL RECINE/GETTY IMAGES

And that’s the last action of the first half. The referee Daniele Orsato elects not to play any stoppage time.

Nearly for England. Bukayo Saka wriggles free down the right (amid contact from Michel Aebischer) and pulls back to Kobbie Mainoo, but a superbly timed challenge from Granit Xhaka thwarts the Manchester United midfielder.

Neither side has had a shot on target as we enter the 42nd minute. That pretty much sums up what has been a tense, cagey first half.

Paul Joyce: Harry Kane was filling in at left wingback for a moment as England went from having a corner, which Kieran Trippier took, to defending in the blink of an eye. Sometimes England pass backwards too easily, but there have been bright cameos from Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden and Kobbie Mainoo, who has been driving forward from midfield.

A glimpse of Jude Bellingham at his best, as the Real Madrid man goes on a marauding run that forces Fabian Schär to foul him. Schär is booked for the challenge.

No bad thing to have an opposition defender on a yellow.

There were suspicions that Bukayo Saka would start at left wingback for this game but he is proving why Gareth Southgate has kept him on the right. He turns away from Michel Aebischer adeptly but can’t quite pick out a white shirt with his subsequent cross.

Paul Joyce: It has taken four games for England to realise, but Phil Foden looks far more comfortable occupying the right side than the left. His passing range opens up, he looks more confident and that is because everything will feel more natural to him. The clipped pass over the top which freed Bukayo Saka and forced Fabian Schär, the Switzerland defender, to hack clear was evidence of that. Foden has been involved much more and that’s been a major positive of this opening passage.

Paul Joyce: Some lovely skill by Bukayo Saka earlier to dupe Michel Aebischer by the touchline, and John Stones has been able to play higher than we have seen him in some previous matches. It has been a confident start by England and they are pressing aggressively. A slight concern is when they don’t press together, and Jude Bellingham has been caught out, Switzerland have found ways of building attacks. However, England’s tempo already feels better. They just need a goal.

Harry Kane wants a penalty after nipping in front of Fabian Schär and drawing contact from the Newcastle United defender, but the referee is not interested. It would have been soft.

Kane appealed for a penalty after a challenge by Schär

KENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

After a slightly nervy start England have had a good spell, with much of their play coming down the right flank. Declan Rice has a decent opening from just outside the box but his shot cannot make it through the Switzerland bodies.

Paul Joyce: It is Kieran Trippier at left wingback which makes sense for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is easier to morph into a back four if necessary. Secondly, Gareth Southgate spoke about the Newcastle United defender’s communication skills which should help Ezri Konsa, the left-sided centre back. Thirdly, if we ever see Luke Shaw this afternoon it would mean less disruption. England’s wingbacks are very high up the pitch.

An encouraging early moment for Ezri Konsa, as he dispossesses Remo Freuler just as it looked like the Switzerland midfielder had a sight of goal.

Yep, it’s a back three for England. Bukayo Saka is on the right meaning Kieran Trippier starts on the left.

Anthems done, pre-match festivities complete — we’re ready to go! A place in the last four on the line.

The two XIs are lining up in the Dusseldorf Arena tunnel. Kick-off is moments away…

Tension is building with only 15 minutes to go until kick-off. The Prince of Wales, who is also the president of the FA, is in attendance.

The Prince of Wales is at the Dusseldorf Arena

OZAN KOSE/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

If England win this afternoon they will play either Turkey or Holland in the semi-finals. Turkey have had a particularly lively run, featuring raucous support and controversial political gestures.

Ian Hawkey: Turkey take a hefty set of numbers into tonight’s Euro 2024 meeting with Holland. There’s the estimated 200,000 Berliners of Turkish heritage, the vast majority committed to making the city hosting their quarter-final sound and feel like it’s a home contest. Then there’s the less helpful figures that punctuate the Turkish rollercoaster through the tournament so far: ten bookings and, as of Friday, the most significant individual ban imposed on a participant at the competition, the two-match suspension Uefa handed to defender Merih Demiral for what has been deemed a politically charged gesture.

• Read more: One ban, 11 bookings and political strife on Turkey’s rollercoaster ride

Gareth Southgate has just spoken to the BBC, but would not confirm England’s formation as kick-off looms.

On England’s tactics: “Whatever formation we play, we want to try to get the pressure right on the opposition, so [it’s about] making that as simple as possible with the profile of players we’ve got, and always then adapting with the ball to try to pose as many problems as we can.”

On Bukayo Saka’s role: “He is a player that works diligently for the team. He is obviously a huge threat in one-against-one situations. He provides so much, he’s got a goal threat, so he’s been a really important player for us for a number of years.”

Paul Joyce: Switzerland have deployed a back three for their past nine matches and have been a well-oiled machine at this tournament. A danger man could be the left wingback Michel Aebischer, who has been joining attacks as a No 10. In the opening group game win over Hungary, he scored and assisted. However, all seven of their goals have come from different players and Remo Freuler’s strike against Italy last Saturday followed a move of 31 passes.

Paul Joyce: Capacity at the Dusseldorf Arena is 46,533 with England’s official allocation approximately 7,000 tickets but, as always, there are thousands more here.

At lunchtime, there were lots of people milling around looking for tickets. Those who were fortunate enough to have one and came inside early would have seen the England backroom staff setting out the warm-up session. Three bags of balls, orange, blue and whistle discs all painstakingly arranged in one half of the pitch. A white square, for example, is 16 paces by 16 paces. Let’s hope the attention to detail has been the same in training this week. Southgate said his squad had trained very well, although I doubt he would have said anything different.

Ezri Konsa has five England caps, made two starts for his country and never started a competitive international. What a moment for the Aston Villa defender.

As expected, England make one change to the XI, with Ezri Konsa coming in for Marc Guéhi. With this XI, a back-three system seems likely.

Paul Joyce: Gareth Southgate wasn’t really in the mood yesterday evening to discuss the milestone of this being his 100th game in charge of England. He is eyeing match 102 as being the landmark and, in order to remain on course for the final of Euro 2024, he must first hope his tactical switch pays off.

Southgate could have reacted to four underwhelming displays by changing the personnel, Instead, England appear to have switched to a back three with Ezri Konsa replacing the suspended Marc Guéhi, and Kieran Trippier and Bukayo Saka as the wingbacks.

When Southgate was asked about this possibility last night he pointed out that he likes to be tactically flexible and then snapped it was not long ago he was getting “killed” for playing three at the back. All a little unnecessarily tetchy and also inaccurate.

There are so many points of intrigue with this system, such as which flanks will Saka and Trippier be on and where will Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham play? We think Foden and Bellingham will be just off Harry Kane and I would hope to the right and left respectively. Foden enjoys stepping inside, off the right and shooting with his stronger left foot.

England XI: Jordan Pickford; Kyle Walker, John Stones, Ezri Konsa; Kieran Trippier, Kobbie Mainoo, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka; Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane, Phil Foden.

The two quarter-finals on Friday were contrasting contests. Spain beat Germany 2-1, with their winner coming late in extra-time to cap off a gripping encounter. Meanwhile, France and Portugal plodded through a 0-0 draw before Didier Deschamps’ side prevailed on penalties.

Spain will play France in the first semi-final next Tuesday. Catch up on the action below.

• Read more: German dreams shattered by former Newcastle man’s 119th-minute header
• Read more: Deschamps makes no apologies as nihilistic France grind way into semi-finals

Among the most infamous moments in England football history is Paul Gascoigne’s yellow card against West Germany in the 1990 World Cup semi-finals. That booking ruled Gascoigne out of the final and reduced him to tears — though England lost the semi anyway.

Yellow cards are wiped after the quarter-finals at Euro 2024 but five England players will miss a potential semi-final should they pick up a second booking of the tournament. They are: Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Kobbie Mainoo, Conor Gallagher and Kieran Trippier.

Marc Guéhi, the centre back, was booked for a second time in the tournament during the round-of-16 win over Slovakia and is suspended for today’s game.

Luke Shaw, the only natural left back in England’s squad, may make his long-awaited return from injury today.

Matt Lawton: Luke Shaw is the player Southgate very much regards as his best option on the left, but no competitive action since February makes him a risk for the European Championship quarter-final encounter with Switzerland, even if he is now rated fully fit.

What Shaw gives England, however, is the balance that has been missing in their first four games, and with it a fluidity that enables Southgate’s side to be more flexible in their tactical approach.

• Read more: Why Luke Shaw is key to England’s tactical flexibility

England’s opponents are captained by Granit Xhaka, the former Arsenal man who has been superb in Switzerland’s midfield.

Paul Hirst: Xhaka, 31, has been Switzerland’s best player during their swashbuckling ride to the last eight, which has included victories over Italy and Hungary, and a draw against Germany that would have been a win had Niclas Füllkrug not scored a last-gasp equaliser.

Xhaka is one man-of-the-match award away from equalling the European Championship record of six, which is held by Andrés Iniesta and Cristiano Ronaldo. Ten months ago, such a feat would have seemed impossible.

• Read more: How Granit Xhaka got Switzerland playing like Bayer Leverkusen

England are expected to switch systems this afternoon, deploying a 3-4-2-1 system rather than variations of 4-3-3 used so far at Euro 2024. The notoriously right-footed Kieran Trippier may move from left back to right wingback, while Bukayo Saka could swap right wing for left wingback.

Martin Samuel: A belt, but no braces. Gareth Southgate is right to go to a back three against Switzerland on Saturday evening, but right to temper attack with defence, too.

He could have gone gung-ho, picked two wingers, or one winger and Trent Alexander-Arnold, but this is a sensible compromise. Bukayo Saka to provide the threat, Kieran Trippier to play with his defensive head screwed on.

• Read more: Back three is right call – but Gareth Southgate must be bold with it

Gareth Southgate will take charge of his 100th England game this afternoon. The England manager, who has been in the position since 2016 and is likely to exit the job after this tournament, will dearly hope he does not end on exactly a century.

Jonathan Northcroft: Quality has been absent from England’s football at Euro 2024. But the results have been there and brought them to a quarter-final against effervescent Switzerland, defeated only once (in a dead-rubber qualifier) since the 2022 World Cup. Will it be this time? You know, when England click at last. At the Merkur Spiel-Arena, Gareth Southgate is hoping for fifth time lucky. If not, his 100th game as England ­manager will be his last.

• Read more: Gareth Southgate convinced time is right for ‘brave’ England team

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of England’s Euro 2024 quarter-final against Switzerland.

It has been an underwhelming tournament for Gareth Southgate’s side thus far. Their run to the last eight has been defined by ponderous football, fan frustrations and an almighty scare in the round of 16. Yet, courtesy of Jude Bellingham’s last-gasp equaliser and Harry Kane’s extra-time winner against Slovakia, England’s hopes of a first men’s major trophy since 1966 are still alive.

They will have to improve this afternoon. Switzerland have played some of the best football in the tournament and, through their commanding 2-0 victory over Italy in the round of 16, displayed their ability to knock out a big-name opponent.

Stand by for updates and analysis from the Dusseldorf Arena, with kick-off at 5pm.