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The Switzerland star was in outstanding form as Murat Yakin’s men dominated the Azzurri in Berlin on Saturday.
Bayer Leverkusen and Switzerland midfielder Granit Xhaka produced a midfield masterclass in the first knockout match at Euro 2024 as the holders were eliminated in Berlin.
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19:03 - 29.06.2024
EURO2024: Xhaka shines as Switzerland knock hapless Italy out
Defending champions Italy are the first casualties of the European Championships knockout round after suffering defeat to Switzerland.
Switzerland vs Italy
Luciano Spalletti’s men had been unconvincing throughout the group stage, needing a Mattia Zaccagni leveller against Croatia to advance from Group B at the finals.
Having shown they could be tricky opponents against Germany, when they came within minutes of ending atop Group A, Switzerland were tipped to pose a threat to the Euro 2020 champions on Saturday.
And so it proved in Berlin, as Murat Yakin’s men notched a 2-0 triumph against the below-par Italians following goals from Remo Freuler and Ruben Vargas, the latter scoring within seconds after the second-half restart.
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Despite not scoring or assisting, Xhaka played commendably in the Swiss’s deserved victory over an underwhelming side as Yakin’s men dominated with the ball and even kept the deposed holders at bay when they had opened a 2-0 lead.
Pulse Sports pick out some standout statistics from the Leverkusen star’s showing according to Opta.
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90 – Xhaka continued his admirable run of playing every minute of Switzerland’s Euro 2024 campaign after lasting the entirety of Saturday’s match.
16 - The midfielder made more final third entries (16) than any other player on both sides in the round of 16 match.
3 - No player created more chances than Xhaka's three, with the Leverkusen midfielder also completing 94 of his 98 passes against Italy.
What comes next?
Switzerland will face the winner of Sunday’s match between England and Slovakia in the quarter-final on July 6, keen to continue their undefeated start to 2024 in all competitions.
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