After playing a pivotal role in a flawless Bundesliga triumph, the 31-year-old is now perfectly placed to make more history with his country
Switzerland’s 3-0 loss to Italy at Euro 2020 has long bothered Granit Xhaka. He felt his team failed to turn up for the group game in Rome. Last weekend was different, though. Last weekend, Switzerland didn’t just take to the field at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, they made it their own private playground, dumping the defending champions out of Euro 2024 with the most dominant of 2-0 wins.
“I have never seen the Azzurri in such difficulty on the field as against us,” Xhaka enthused after the last-16 showdown in Berlin – and with no shortage of justification. “We won even before going on the pitch, just as they did with us three years ago. They were scared.”
One wonders if England will be feeling a little fearful themselves right now, because despite picking up a minor adductor injury against Italy, Xhaka is expected to start against the Three Lions in Saturday’s quarter-final clash in Dusseldorf, which means that there is a very real chance that a player in the form of his life will deliver another midfield masterclass on the biggest stage.