Alex Keble's Euro 2024 match-ups for the England vs Switzerland

By Alex Keble

21:11 · SAT July 06, 2024

Alex Keble (@alexkeble) is a football journalist who specialises in tactical understanding, analysis and predictions of all aspects of the game.

England vs Switzerland

Saturday 6th July, 17:00 - BBC One
Home 23/20 | Draw 2/1 | Away 13/5

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England’s build-up play v Switzerland’s man-to-man press

The most important question for Gareth Southgate is how to get his team to pass out from their own third effectively. The build-up was ponderous and easily rebuffed by Slovakia in the previous round and Switzerland are considerably tougher opposition.

They dominated Italy in a 2-0 win in the last 16, utilising a superb man-to-man high press to squeeze the Italians by setting complex pressing traps; leaving the right-back free, Switzerland would jump when Giovanni di Lorenzo received the ball, using the numerical advantage of their 3-4-3 up against Italy’s 4-3-3 to create a timid Italian performance.

England's potential line-up vs Switzerland

Many pundits have suggested England should switch to a 3-4-3 formation (with Bukayo Saka on the left and Trent Alexander-Arnold either side of a back three) but this is not the time for wild tactical changes that would surely only further disrupt an England side without real cohesion. It certainly isn’t what a conservative manager like Southgate will do.

But that does not mean he can’t make the changes required to improve England’s elegance in possession in their own third and move around the Switzerland high press just as Hungary and Germany managed in the group stages.

Kieran Trippier’s tendency to come inside onto his right foot shuts down passing angles and makes England too predictable, which will play into the hands of this meticulously prepared Switzerland press, meaning there is a strong case for trialling Saka here.

However, Marc Guehi’s suspension means Ezri Konsa in an uncomfortable left-sided centre-back position, suggesting the defensive security of Trippier is still preferrable despite his limitations on the ball.

Instead, what England could do is rejig the formation during the build-up phase. If Kyle Walker was to drop to become a third centre-back, Trippier push higher, and drop Saka, England will have greater options to find Declan Rice and Kobbie Mainoo – who simply has to start considering his brilliant press-resistant qualities in the middle.

Breaking the Swiss press is England’s key to victory. If they can do it, then there is enough pace and dribbling quality in Phil Foden, Saka, and Jude Bellingham (only two nations have attempted more take-ons than England’s 79) to take advantage of the spaces that will open up.

And it isn’t all about passing in intelligent triangles until Switzerland overcommit. The direct route up to a dropping and linking Harry Kane is a path Southgate must encourage.

Aebischer-led left-side attacks v England’s midfield

The clamour to bring in Alexander-Arnold is also misguided. Should Switzerland drop into their 5-4-1 midblock to protect a lead, as they did against Italy, then Alexander-Arnold’s switches of play (England have made 27 switches, more than anyone else) would be very useful from right-back, but his defensive abilities cannot be trusted against these particular opponents.

Switzerland’s most frequent area of attack is the left flank. They lean this way predominantly because left wing-back Michel Aebischer plays an important hybrid role, confusing the opposition as he drifts into midfield to help overload the centre or pull the right-back out of position.

It led directly to both goals against a discombobulated Italy, as well as two of the goals in Switzerland’s only other victory in the tournament so far, when Aebischer popped up centrally to assist one and score another in the 3-1 victory over Hungary.

Aebischer is just one reason why the Switzerland midfield might have the upper hand. Granit Xhaka and Remu Freuler form a dependable base with plenty of experience, and with two narrow number tens just in front of them England’s at-times porous midfield might be in trouble.

It was too easy for Slovakia to get past Mainoo in the previous round, while Jude Bellingham’s positioning is too erratic to give England solidity. Conor Gallagher might finally be the energetic player Southgate needs in there to disrupt Xhaka, but who could he realistically drop? There just isn’t space for Gallagher and Mainoo.

Luckily for Southgate the solution is to retreat to his happy place. If England deploy a lower block, squeezing space between the lines rather than pressing high as you might expect if they were playing France or Germany, for example, then Switzerland’s midfield dominance will count for less.

So, after all the difficulties of the first four matches England’s usual team selection and Southgate’s preferred tactical setup might just be the best way to face a Switzerland side that is more tactically intelligent, more interesting, and in better form than them. The draw, once again, has been kind to England.

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