The knockout stage of the 17th UEFA European Championship (Euro) 2024 goes full steam this Saturday when host-nation Germany battles Denmark and Italy crossswords with Switzerland. These games will play on until Tuesday when the quarter-finalists emerge.
Saturday June 29, 2024
The 2020 UEFA European Championship holders, Italy, are out in defence of their honours against Switzerland in the round of 16 at Olympiastadion Berlin hosted in Germany.
Scheduled in the age-old city of Berlin, this epic clash will begin at 18h00, Saturday June 29.
Although the Swiss finished 2nd behind Germany in Group A, they won one game and drew two. If these results are any indication, the team looks competitively good. However can they transport their group-phase scintillating showing into the knockout stage and unleash an elimination blow to the italians?
For their part, the Italians won one, drew one and managed to lose a single match in the point-accumulation group stages. They came 2nd with four (4) points behind Spain in Group B. On the other hand, will the Italians up the ante as the stakes are increased and can not afford the modest group-stage performance?
The outcome will give a better summation to all these lingering questions. That said, football zealots are in for an incredulous spectacle of a grand game.
Host Germany plays Denmark
In Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park, Denmark will go toe-to-toe with host-nation Germany tonight at 21h00.
As a guest nation, it will be quite fascinating how the Danes fare playing in foreign soil against the party-givers. Even so, they may feel less of a burden than their opponents tonight. Nevertheless, the aura that comes with triumph of this premium proportions can lift even the less fancied sides such as Denmark.
But for the Germans, it is almost expected of them to do well, adding the advantage of entertaining the European nations in the backyard. For this reason, it is given that the anticipation of victory will weigh heavily on their collective shoulders.
Both Germany and Denmark did not lose any match in the tournament so far. But Germany emerged from Group A as winners with seven (7) points out of the possible nine (9). Conversely, Denmark pulled through the eye of a needle after drawing all three; finishing 2nd with three (3) points gathered in Group C topped by England. That means they are yet to register a victory in this competition. And the bottomline is, both teams know no defeat to this end.
Therefore, tonight there should be a winner unlike in the group stages where teams could afford to drop a match and still spring back to the swing of the EURO 2024 competition.
Even so, it is worth noting that the Germans have an upperhand. The outstanding question is: will they summon it and master a fruitful performance tonight?
So, Saturday night renders yet another instalment of outstanding action of football. These are the elimination rounds of games where the victors progress to the quarterfinals and losers bid their farewells.
Round of 16
Sunday, June 30 EURO 2024:
England vs Slovakia at Veltins-Arena (Schalke) – 18h00
Spain vs Georgia at RheinEnergieStadion (Cologne) – 21h00
Monday, July 1 EURO 2024:
France vs Belgium at Merkur Spiel Arena (Dusseldorf) – 18h00
Portugal vs Slovenia at Deutsche Bank Park (Frankfurt) – 21h00
Tuesday, July 2 EURO 2024:
Romania vs Netherlands at Allianz Arena (Munich) – 18h00
Austria vs Türkiye Red Bull Arena Leipzig (Leipzig) – 21h00