True to his legend, Murat Yakin reserved a surprise from the chef before the round of 16 of the Euro against Italy this Saturday in Berlin; the tenure of Dan Ndoye as right piston.
After having played the four friendlies before this Euro as a left piston and having occupied the attacking flank during the three matches of the group stage, the Vaudois will have to close the right flank. He will be helped in his task by Fabian Rieder who will play, as last Sunday against Germany, higher up this corridor. Substitute on Sunday, Ruben Vargas finds his starting place in attack.
Dan Ndoye was thus preferred to Leonidas Stergiou to replace Silvan Widmer, who was suspended. However, Murat Yakin had announced last Sunday that the VfB Stuttgart player should be lined up against Italy. The last training sessions have most certainly led him to change his mind.
Starting in central defense, Ricardo Rodriguez will become the third most capped Swiss player in history tonight. Like Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri, the Zurich player has overtaken Heinz Hermann and his 118 caps. This 119th cap will be his 25th in a final tournament. He has not missed a single match for the Swiss team in the World Cup and the Euro since the match against Ecuador on June 15, 2014 in Brasilia.
Ricardo Rodriguez is, moreover, one of the five players under threat of suspension for a possible quarter-final in the event of a yellow card. Ndoye, Remo Freuler, Vicent Sierro and Granit Xhaka are the other four players who face this peril.
Switzerland will play in the following composition against Italy: Sommer; Schär, Akanji, Rodriguez; Ndoye, Freuler, Xhaka, Aebischer; Rieder, Vargas; Embolo.
/ATS
