Euro 2024 Round of 16 predictions, fixtures, results: Saturday 29 June
Euro 2024 Round of 16 predictions, fixtures, results: Saturday 29 June
It’s time for the business end of the European Championship football action, with the first pair of Round of 16 fixtures taking centre stage on Saturday in Germany.
The host nation were comfortable qualifiers and have earned a Last 16 encounter with northern neighbours Denmark in Dortmund.
Berlin’s Olimpiastadion welcomes the first Euro 2024 knockout clash earlier in the day meanwhile, as another pair of bordered nations meet in the form of Switzerland and defending champions Italy.
*All kick off times in local time.
Round of 16: Switzerland vs Italy – 18.00
A fascinating contest kicks off the Round of 16 at Euro 2024 on Saturday, as Switzerland and Italy go head-to-head in Berlin.
The Euro 2020 champions looked destined to see their title defence snuffed out at the first hurdle.
Trailing to a Luka Modric goal in Leipzig, it took a stunning equalizer in the 98th minute from Mattia Zaccagni to see them sneak back above Croatia into second place of Group B at the very last.
They face a dangerous Swiss side that also progressed as runners-up, this time from Group A and with far less stress.
Indeed they were themselves only minutes from beating host nation Germany into second spot in Franfurt, only for Niclas Fullkrug to pinch a draw with 92 minutes on the clock.
Xherdan Shaqiri had earlier secured a draw with dreary Scotland.
But that was enough to see them though, following their opening 3-1 victory over Hungary thanks to goals from Kwadwo Duah, Michel Aebischer and Breel Embolo in Cologne.
The Azzurri also won their opening game to alleviate the early pressure, albeit having conceded the quickest goal in Euros history inside the first 30 seconds against Albania.
Replies from Alessandro Bastoni and Nicolo Barella came quickly to settle the nerves, though.
The rescue mission ultimately negated their 1-0 loss to Spain, although the Italians are firmly aware of how lopsided the contest was against them.
And that means it’s them or the Swiss who will go through to a Dusseldorf quarter-final on Saturday 6 July.
Round of 16: Germany vs Denmark – 21.00
Germany make their entrance on the first day of knockout action at their home Euro 2024, with Denmark their challengers in Dortmund on Saturday night.
It’ll be raucous as ever at the iconic Westfalenstadion, not least with the countries sharing a border – one that has been crossed by several thousand Danish fans throughout the tournament so far.
The Germans came through Group A relatively untroubled but without the perfect record many were predicting after the opening night.
A 5-1 thumping of Scotland in Munich eventually proved more indicative of the weakness of the Scots.
But don’t tell that to Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala, Kai Havertz, Niclas Fullkrug and Emre Can, who all hit the back of the net in a booming curtain-raiser at the Allianz Arena.
The hosts then took their roadshow to Stuttgart, where goals from Musiala again and Ilkay Gundogan sealed progression at a canter with a 2-0 success against Hungary.
It means the 1-1 salvage job against Switzerland, with Fullkrug pulling level in the 92nd minute, quite likely served as a handy sharpener for coach Julian Nagelsmann and his side, in time for the sterner tests to come.
Denmark remain something of an oddity, albeit one with big stage pedigree.
Kasper Hjulmand’s men reached the semi-finals of Euro 2020, despite the horror collapse of Christian Eriksen with a cardiac arrest on the pitch in the group stage game with Finland.
But they were then dumped out of the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar at the first hurdle.
And they seem to have levelled off arguably too much, with three draws from three edging them through a Group C that became something of a slog all round.
Morten Hjulmand’s precision long-range strike against pre-tournament favourites England has been the worthy high water mark so far, with the Danes a touch unfortunate not to go on and win the contest.
Eriksen’s revival to score their opening goal of the competition was also a goal for the romantics, only for Slovenia to hit back to share the spoils 13 minutes from time.
And the less said about last Tuesday’s final pool fixture with Serbia the better, it having ended in the drabbest of goalless draws.
Nevertheless, it still gives Eriksen and Co a swing at the hosts with a Stuttgart quarter-final the prize for the winner.