After a thrilling group stage came to a frantic conclusion on Wednesday, all eyes will be on the round of 16 as the first two ties take place on Saturday.
Tournament hosts and Group A winners Germany are in action in the late kick-off as they take on Group C runners-up Denmark - who finished second thanks to their superior disciplinary record over Slovenia.
The first knockout contest of the 2024 European Championships will see reigning champions Italy take to the field in Berlin as they face Switzerland, who were forced to settle for second place in Group A after conceding an injury time equaliser to Germany.
SWITZERLAND VS ITALY
- SWITZERLAND TO WIN
- DAN NDOYE TO HAVE 2+ SHOTS
- GRANIT XHAKA TO BE BOOKED
GERMANY VS DENMARK
- GERMANY TO WIN TO NIL
- NICLAS FULLKRUG TO SCORE ANYTIME
- JANNIK VESTERGAARD TO BE BOOKED
Switzerland vs Italy
Red Crosses Can Cause Upset
Switzerland looked a well-drilled outfit throughout Group A as they went unbeaten and the Rossocrociati could dump out an Italy side that has largely underwhelmed in this tournament.
The Swiss were deserving winners in their 3-1 opening victory over Hungary and they were only a matter of minutes away from topping Group A before Niclas Fullkrug scored a late leveller for Germany.
Reigning champions Italy are fortunate to be in the knockout stages after Mattia Zaccagni netted a 98th-minute equaliser against Croatia on matchday three but their previous performances did not offer too much promise, with a 2-1 comeback victory over minnows Albania followed by a 1-0 defeat to Spain, which could easily have been much worse had the Spaniards been more clinical.
Switzerland famously overcame then-reigning world champions France at this stage in Euro 2020 so will not be intimidated by the prospect of facing Italy. With strong showings in the group stages, the Swiss will feel confident that they can progress to the next stage.
Confident Ndoye To Try His Luck
The Swiss have a number of attacking options and plenty have already shone on the continental stage this summer, with the likes of Breel Embolo and Xherdan Shaqiri both hitting the target in Germany - the latter of which now scoring in six consecutive major tournaments dating back to the 2014 World Cup.
Bologna striker Dan Ndoye has also hit the target for Switzerland at Euro 2024 - scoring the opener against Germany - and the 23-year-old could be one to watch out for in the shots market on Saturday.
Ndoye has already had nine efforts on goal which is the most of any member of Murat Yakin’s side. Only two of these have been on target so his strikes may be wayward this weekend, but back the striker to try his luck on a couple of occasions.
Another Caution For Captain Xhaka
With everything to play for in knockout football, both sides will need to leave everything on the pitch and a fiery midfield battle is expected in Berlin.
Both Switzerland and Italy rank in the top 10 in the tournament for yellow cards accrued, while the Red Crosses also place in the top 10 for fouls committed with 38.
Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka can normally be relied upon to get stuck into the thick of the action and the 31-year-old is in the top three for his country for fouls committed in Germany with five. The Bayer Leverkusen man has already picked up one yellow card and he looks a strong bet to fall foul of the referee.
Germany vs Denmark
Hosts Can Advance
No side scored more goals than Germany across the group stages - with the hosts netting eight times across their three Group A fixtures - and Julian Nagelsmann’s side can use their attacking quality to take care of Denmark.
Die Mannschaft won two of their three group fixtures while they have conceded just two goals so far in this tournament - with the first of these being an unfortunate own goal from Antonio Rudiger in the 5-1 thrashing of Scotland on the opening night.
Denmark were held to draws in each of their three Group C encounters and a lack of service for striker Rasmus Hojlund looks a real issue for the Danes. A raucous home crowd should help propel Germany to success in Dortmund, while Denmark could struggle to lay a finger on the hosts.
Fullkrug Could Strike Once Again
Goals have been shared out amongst the Germany squad, with six different players getting on the scoresheet for Die Mannschaft.
Only two players have scored more than once for Julian Nagelsmann’s side and one of these is striker Niclas Fullkrug, who has come off the bench to score two well-taken goals against Scotland and Switzerland respectively.
The Borussia Dortmund striker has scored 13 goals in 19 games for his country and will be a major threat in the area for the Danish defence to deal with. Should Kai Havertz - who is expected to start on Saturday - fail to deliver, expect Fullkrug to be the difference maker.
NICLAS FULLKRUG TO SCORE ANYTIME
Difficult Day For Vestergaard
With the Germans full to the brim with attacking talent, this could be a very tricky evening for the Danish backline, who have only conceded two goals so far in this tournament.
The defensive trio of Joachim Andersen, Andreas Christensen and Jannik Vestergaard have largely held their own so far but against a higher quality opponent that are playing with supreme confidence, the cracks could open up at the back.
Both Andersen and Vestergaard have given away four fouls each already in this tournament and the latter also has a yellow card to his name. Vestergaard looks a promising option in the cards market, particularly after picking up a career-high 13 yellows for Leicester last season, and he could feel the wrath of the referee again on Saturday.
JANNIK VESTERGAARD TO BE BOOKED
