Switzerland and Germany punched their tickets to the Euro 2022 quarter-finals following 2-0 wins last Saturday.
Switzerland shocked the defending champs by sending Italy packing after scoring twice in Berlin.
Later on, Germany clinched a similar victory, edging out Denmark, increasing their chance of triumphing on their turf.
Here’s a breakdown of the most intriguing Opta stats from Euro 2024’s initial set of knockout games.
Switzerland 2-0 Italy: Vargas Crashes Azzurri Party
Switzerland’s recent triumph over Italy will surely have other teams on edge. Ruben Vargas was stellar, setting up Remo Freuler for the first goal and then scoring a fabulous curler himself. He’s the first Swiss to both score and assist in a knockout game of a major tourney since 1966.
His goal, scored merely 27 seconds into the second half, stands as the second quickest second-half goal in Euros history. Only Marcel Coras’ 21-second goal against West Germany in 1984 was faster.
Switzerland now advances to the quarters, potentially facing England or Slovakia. They’ve reached this stage back-to-back, after historically struggling to advance in previous competitions.
Italy Crashes Out
Though reigning champs, Italy was not seen as top contenders and indeed struggled defensively. Their exit means the title-holders have been eliminated in the round of 16 for the third consecutive Euros.
They conceded five goals at Euro 2024, one more than their entire 2020 campaign. The defeat also concluded their six-match unbeaten run in knockout stages at 90 minutes.
Germany 2-0 Denmark: Musiala Climbs Scoring Ladder
Despite VAR interruptions and a weather delay in Dortmund, Germany’s match proved eventful. Second-half goals from Kai Havertz and Jamal Musiala, the latter scoring his third of the tournament, sealed the deal.
Musiala, at age 21, matches Georges Mikautadze in the Golden Boot tally and is only behind Wayne Rooney for most goals scored by a young player in Euros history.
Quarter-finals Beckon for Germany
Germany is set for their first quarter-final at a major tourney since 2016, boasting a four-match unbeaten streak thus far at Euro 2024.
Manuel Neuer, setting appearance records, now holds the most European Championship caps for Germany, tying Bastian Schweinsteiger’s major tournament appearances with his 39th.
Denmark, on the other hand, faces a bleak aftermath, unable to mirror their last semi-final adventure from Euro 2020, following eight straight winless games at major tournaments.
