A pair of superb strikes for Switzerland by Remo Freuler and Ruben Vargas has sent defending champions Italy crashing out of Euro 2024 in the round of 16 after a sloppy, rudderless display by Luciano Spalletti's side ended in a 2-0 defeat.
Though the Swiss defended well, the Italians made their job all the easier with bad passing and poor decision-making, giving the ball away cheaply in central positions and failing to press with any vigour as they headed for the exit.
After a slow, tenuous start on a sweltering evening in Berlin, Switzerland should have taken the lead in the 24th minute when Breel Embolo was played in, but his attempt to wait out Gianluigi Donnarumma didn't succeed and the Italian goalkeeper comfortably parried his curled shot.
It was an early warning of what was to come, however, and the Italians could not hold on to the ball at all in the first half with even the most simple passes finding a red shirt, rather than a blue one.
Looking far more like defending champions than their sluggish opponents, the Swiss breakthrough came in the 37th minute with a brilliantly-worked goal as they pulled the Italians apart.
The Swiss almost threw the Italians a lifeline in the 51st minute as Fabian Schaer's glancing defensive header wrong-footed his own keeper Yann Sommer, leaving him to watch helplessly as the ball bounced up and kissed the far post before being cleared.
With the clock ticking ominously, the Italian players seemed paralysed in the face of the stout Swiss defence, resorting to speculative long shots that did little to trouble Sommer.
The woodwork intervened again in the 74th minute as Gianluca Scammacca scuffed the ball onto the near post from close range but that was as close as Italy came, and their fans were streaming out of the stands long before the final whistle, with those left in their seats dumbstruck by their team's insipid performance.
Meanwhile, second-half goals from Kai Havertz and Jamal Musiala's have sent Germany into the quarter-finals with a 2-0 win over Denmark after their last-16 clash was delayed by a thunderstorm.
Nico Schlotterbeck earlier had a goal ruled out for a foul in the build-up as Germany started strongly in front of an expectant crowd, but Denmark grew into the game and went close either side of halftime.
The hosts established an unassailable lead in the 68th minute, however, when Musiala ran on to a ball over the top and curled home his third goal of the tournament to put Germany into the last eight, where they will face Spain or Georgia.
Germany will play the winner of Spain v Georgia while Switzerland will meet the winner of England v Slovakia.
Reuters
