June 30, 0:00 Taiwan Time Italy vs Switzerland
The first match of the top 16 was defending champions Italy against Switzerland. Both teams won 1, drew 1 and lost 1 in the group stage. In the third round of the tournament, Zacani drew with Croesus and finished second in the group stage.
And with an undefeated record of 1 win and 2 draws, Switzerland came close to beating landlord Germany in the final round, but unfortunately were chased down in the last minute and fell into second place in the group.
Playing primarily a 4-2-3-1, Italy will meet Switzerland, who play a 3-4-2-1. Carafiore, who has been in fine form for Italy, will be a variable as he accumulates yellow cards and is suspended. Buon Giorno's left foot is expected to have its first show in Europe, and Italy may also play a 3-back formation.
In Switzerland, Ebischer, who plays midfield for his club, is the team's biggest livewire. In Coach Yakin's 3-back formation, Ebischer will retire as a defender in defense, a winger in offense, and even an attacking midfielder in midfield, thus increasing the advantage of the number of midfielders.
The two geographically neighboring teams can be considered old rivals. In the past, there is a record of 60 matches. Italy has the absolute advantage in terms of 29 wins, 24 draws and 7 losses. In the first match of the last European group stage, Italy beat Switzerland 3-0 to start their journey to the championship.
Of course, in the next two world qualifiers, both teams played to a draw. Italy was also squeezed into second place in the group by Switzerland and wanted to play in the play-offs. As a result, Italy missed their second consecutive World Qualifier. At that time, Jorginho, who didn't make it to the 12-yard box in either game, would meet Swiss keeper Sommer again. What will be the outcome of this duel? It is expected that the match will go to an extended round.
June 30th, 3:00 pm Taiwan time Germany vs Denmark
Germany's landlord got off to a fierce start. After beating Scotland 5-1, he beat Hungary 2-0. He earned his ticket to advancement in both games. However, in the final game, Phil Kruger's goal was equal to his opponent's, drawing 1-1 with Switzerland and barely retaining first place in the group. Switzerland also proved that Germany, who had looked strong in their first two games, were not impossible to win.
Denmark drew all the way through the group stage. With three consecutive draws and only three points, it could still finish second in the group. It must have been unpleasant for Ukraine to score four points and be eliminated. However, Denmark didn't play poorly after three games. Basically, the scene was dominated, including England's time of possession and positive shots on goal. They just conceded one unlucky goal.
Germany, who play a 4-2-3-1, have had the same lineup for all three games, but some voices are hoping that the highly goal-efficient Phil Kruger will replace Havertz as the starter. However, they played different roles. Phil Kruger plays the role of a center forward and Havertz will retreat as a midfielder. Looking at Nagelsmann's tactics, Havertz might be a better fit as a starter, and also, with Leverkusen's center back Ta suspended on a yellow card, Borussia Dortmund's young center back Schlotterbeck might take over the game. Will this bring some variation to the game?
Denmark's 3-4-1-2 formation has not changed much. However, the main midfielder for this match, Jurmand, kicked a worldie against England and accumulated a yellow card suspension, which will have some impact on the raw stability of the midfield. In this match, they will surely sacrifice their 5-3-2 formation against their formidable foes Germany, compressing Nagelsmann Germany who likes to dominate the middle of the pitch.
Germany have played in Denmark in the past with 15 wins, 5 draws and 8 losses, but most of the recent matches have been friendlies. The most recent match was Europe 2012. At that time Germany beat Denmark 2-1 in the group stage, but after all, it was 12 years ago and not a great reference.
July 1, 0:00 Taiwan time England vs Slovakia
Favorites to win the title England seemed to play an ugly game as fans expected. In matches against Serbia, Denmark and Slovenia, England's game was confusing. The director filmed the third group game with England fans asleep on the sidelines, but even so, the favorites to win the title, England, had an undefeated group game with one win and two draws, and finishing first in the group gave them an excellent signature.
Slovakia is in Group E. All four teams have four points, which is unheard of. They scored first in all three of their group stage matches. They beat Belgium 1-0 in their first game. Unfortunately, they were reversed by Ukraine in the second game. They also scored first against Romania in the third game, but due to a penalty being tied, they only needed a draw to advance, there was no need to win or lose with Romania.
Southgate can only play a 4-2-3-1, and that will certainly be the formation for this game. In the three games of the group stage, the starting lineup remained almost unchanged. Only Arnold replaced the midfield in the third game and Gallagher changed the game, but the game was also poor. Maynu, Palmer and Gordon had good results in the second half, especially Palmer, a player who is second in the Premier League goalscoring charts and deserves more playing time. It's up to Southgate whether he has the guts to win over Foden or Bellingham.
