After a stunning performance against France, Switzerland (SUI) meets Spain (ESP) in the Euro 2020 quarter-finals. Both teams played 120 minutes in their respective round of 16 fixtures, with Switzerland scoring three goals and Spain netting five times against Croatia. The previous meeting between Switzerland and Spain was in the 2020-21 UEFA Nations League group stage. Remo Freuler helped the Swiss take the lead, and Spain missed two penalties in the second half. But Gerard Moreno rescued a point for Spain with an 89th-minute equalizer.
Granit Xhaka will miss the quarter-final fixture after picking up his second yellow card in the tournament. The skipper’s absence is a big blow as the Arsenal midfielder dictated the play against France and gave the final pass for Switzerland’s equalizer. Borussia Monchengladbach’s Denis Zakaria is likely to take Xhaka’s place in the playing eleven. Swiss fans will be hoping that Steven Zuber, who has made four assists from the last two matches, and Haris Seferovic can continue their fantastic run of form.
Spain proved their doubters wrong after scoring ten goals from their last two matches. The inclusion of Pablo Sarabia in the playing eleven has changed La Roja’s fortunes in the attacking front. The 29-year-old has scored a goal each in the last two games and bagged two assists so far. Luis Enrique, head coach, is expected to bring Jordi Alba back into the eleven, and Ferran Torres, who scored a goal and an assist against Croatia, could retain his place. The former FC Barcelona boss will be delighted with bench strength, too, as Dani Olmo, Pau Torres, and Mikel Oyarzabal made significant contributions after coming off the bench against Croatia.
Head-to-Head
Played: 22
SUI won: 1
ESP won: 16
Drawn: 5
Top Five Fantasy Points scorers (Round of 16)
SUI: H Seferovic (19.5 pts), G Xhaka (10 pts), M Gavranovic (9 pts), S Zuber (8.5 pts), K Mbabu (7.5 pts)
ESP: C Azpilicueta (16 pts), F Torres (15.5 pts), P Sarabia (12.5 pts), A Morata (12 pts), D Olmo (12 pts)
Euro 2020 Stats
Top Goalscorer: SUI – H Seferovic (3 goals); ESP – A Morata, P Sarabia, F Torres (2 goals)
Most Assists: SUI – S Zuber (4 assists); ESP – G Moreno, P Torres, P Sarabia, D Olmo (2 assists)
Most Passes Completed: SUI – G Xhaka (285 passes); ESP – A Laporte (390 passes)
Most Successful Tackles: SUI – M Akanji (6 tackles); ESP – A Laporte (4 tackles)
Shots Saved: SUI – Y Sommer (11 saves); ESP – U Simon (5 saves)
Injuries/Suspensions
SUI: G Xhaka (suspended)
ESP: none
Playing 11
SUI (possible): Y Sommer; N Elvedi, M Akanji, R Rodriguez; S Widmer, R Freuler, D Zakaria, S Zuber; X Shaqiri; B Embolo, H Seferovic
ESP (possible): U Simon; C Azpilicueta, E Garcia, A Laporte, J Alba; Koke, S Busquets Burgos, P Gonzalez Lopez; P Sarabia, A Morata, F Torres
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Parameswaran Sankaranarayanan
Parameswaran Sankaranarayan is a sports enthusiast who has worked in print, website, and other digital platforms. He was part of the editorial team of first-ever Indian football-based website - IndianFootball.com (now defunct) - and passionately follows the latest happenings in world football. During his time as a journalist, he had the opportunity to interact with some of the iconic personalities in Indian sports and witness some memorable moments in Indian football.
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