Some players from the two teams facing each other this evening (from 5:30 p.m. on RTS 2) have already met many times, either because they play in the same championship or in the national team. Analysis of the clashes at some key positions.
The gardians
It’s hard to imagine more different profiles in this position. Giannluigi Donnarumma is almost 2 meters tall, a giant whose wingspan often works wonders in the national team. Yann Sommer, 1 meter 83, is the smallest among the goalkeepers at the Euro. This unusual size has not prevented him from showing off his qualities in major European clubs.
This duel, which has a David versus Goliath feel, is more balanced than it seems. The Italian has been playing for big European teams for years, first at AC Milan and then at PSG. In Paris, however, he is criticized and does not play with perfect serenity.
Yann Sommer is coming off two successful seasons. In 2023, he won the title in Germany with Bayern Munich, replacing the injured colossus Manuel Neuer. This season, he shone with Inter Milan, winning the Italian championship.
The two guardian angels have only faced each other five times during their careers, but always in matches with high stakes. Statistically, the Swiss have a slight advantage, with two wins against two draws and one defeat. During the last Euro, Donnarumma won, during a bitter defeat for the Nati (0-3). Last season, Sommer, however, contributed to the elimination of PSG in the round of 16 of the Champions League, conceding no goals in Bayern Munich’s two victories.
The playing masters
Wherever they play, Jorginho and Granit Xhaka leave their mark on the midfield. Their paths crossed in England. Jorginho played for Chelsea before joining Arsenal last summer, while Xhaka left the club. The Swiss was concluding a long stint with the Gunners, full of ups and downs.
The Italian has never won a major championship. However, he did taste the Champions League title with Chelsea in 2021. As for Xhaka, while he failed last season with Arsenal (like Jorginho this season), he took part in Bayer Leverkusen’s recital this season, dethroning the Munich giants at the top of the German championship. He could have even added a European title to it without a defeat, the only one of the season, in the Europa League final.
The two central pillars have faced each other nine times, mainly in the English championship. The results are perfectly balanced: four victories each, for one draw. They each scored a goal during these confrontations. Note that Jorginho and Xhaka also participated in the Swiss debacle during the last Euro.
The defenders
Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Ricardo Rodríguez occupy slightly different roles during this tournament but have often found themselves in the same lane during their careers. The Italian, however, presents a more impressive business card than the Swiss. Besides Euro 2020, he won several titles with his club, Napoli.
For his part, Rodriguez seems to have found his form again since his arrival at Torino in 2020, after a difficult spell at AC Milan.
These unequal records perhaps denote a difference in stature, which is verified in direct confrontations. Their eleven clashes have often turned to the detriment of the Swiss: five defeats for four ties and two victories.
The regulars
Among the likely participants in this round of 16, Federico Chiesa and Remo Freuler are those who have most often crossed swords.
The lively Chiesa has been making Juventus happy for four seasons after defending the colours of Fiorentina.
Freuler has been playing in Italy since 2016, with the exception of a one-year stint in England, at Nottingham Forest. He is used to playing in underdog teams and this role suits him. Both with Atalanta and Bologna, he has achieved results that exceeded expectations.
Although he has not played in the most prestigious clubs in Italy, the Swiss has a rather flattering record against Chiesa: five wins, six draws and three defeats.
The pillar and the newcomer
Nicolò Barella is part of the furniture in the Italian team. Quite the opposite of Michel Aebischer, a surprise guest among Murat Yakin’s starters during this tournament.
At only 27 years old, the Italian has already won several titles and played in a Champions League final with Inter.
Conversely, the Fribourgeois begins his Italian adventure with Bologna, which he joined in 2022. However, he is coming off a great season, which saw his club come close to the best teams in Italy.
Even if they have only faced each other six times, the results remain surprising: rarely a favorite, Michel Aebischer has won three times, for two draws and only one defeat.
Felix Tybalt
