Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images
Defending champions Italy go hope say dem go finally click well as a team for di knockout stage of Euro 2024.
Italy bin dey veri close to chop elimination for di group stage.
Di Azzurri go face Switzerland for Berlin on Saturday 29 June for di last 16 all tanks to Mattia Zaccagni 98th-minute equaliser for dia final group game against Croatia.
If to say Zaccagni no score dat goal, dem for no qualify even as one of di best third-placed sides.
“We no manage to show all our potential so far,” Italy boss Luciano Spalletti tok.
“We deserve to qualify, even if we bin need a last minute goal, but we need to raise our game, especially in terms of personality.”
Di game go takes place for Berlin Olympiastadion, wia Italy beat France on penalties to win di 2006 World Cup.
Spalletti add say: “Beside di fact say evribodi remember di moment we enjoy for Berlin wen we win di [2006 World Cup] final, for di coaching team wit us we get ‘Gigi’ Buffon, im don tell evribodi about am.
“We still dey remember di excitement wey we enjoy wen we bin dey watch from home back in 2006.”
Switzerland dey play for di knockout stage of a European Championship for di third time in a row.
Dem dey unbeaten for dis tournament for Germany – wit two draws and one win – and dia coach Murat Yakin feel say Italy get good reason to dey worried about im team.
“Italy get some great players, so e go be big challenge,” im tok.
“We dey stay focused on ourselves, but also we need to make sure we dey prepared for di strengths and weaknesses wey Italy get.
“Wetin make am dey dangerous na say dem fit play different ways.
“But, dem also go dey worried about us. We dey good form, we dey unpredictable and we go try to come out on top for dis game.”
Team news
Wing-back Silvan Widmer dey suspended for Switzerland afta im collect two yellow cards.
Forward Ruben Vargas fit come back afta im start di first two games for Germany.
Wing-back Federico Dimarco no dey available for Italy sake of injury while centre-back Riccardo Calafiori dey suspended so im go miss out too.
How to watch Switzerland vs Italy
Di game go kicks off at 17:00 WAT and you fit watch am live on SuperSports if you dey Nigeria.
We go do live text updates for our website.
Match stats
- Dis na fifth time wey Switzerland and Italy dey jam each oda for major international tournament; di Swiss win both games for di 1954 World Cup (2-1 for di group and 4-1 for di group play-off) but Italy don win di last two, 3-0 win for di group stages of di 1962 World Cup and for Euro 2020.
- Since wey dem win 1-0 for May 1993 World Cup qualifier, Switzerland dey winless in 11 matches against Italy for all competitions (D6 L5). Dem only dey on longer winless runs against England (13 games) and Russia (12, including games as USSR), while Italy only dey on longer current unbeaten runs against Finland (14) and Turkey (13).
- Switzerland don reach di knockout stages for each of di last six major international tournaments (European Championship/World Cup) since di start of di 2014 World Cup. Di only European nation wey dia run pass dem na France (seven in a row).
- 15 of Italy last 26 knockout matches for major international tournaments enta extra time, including four of dia last five.
- Overall, di Italians don play more games wey go extra time pass any oda nation across di World Cup and European Championship (21), and dem play di joint-highest number of penalty shootouts, along wit Spain (both 11).