James Milton: Swiss forwards producing more than just cuckoo clocks and last-16 exits

Forget Jude Bellingham's overhead kick – the defining image of England's win over Slovakia was Jordan Pickford's reaction after safely gathering the ball deep into extra-time.

Pickford's manically expressive celebrations – gurning, grinning, gritting his teeth, yelling, nodding violently then shaking his head in disbelief – might seem an overreaction to a regulation piece of goalkeeping.

But the context meant it was entirely appropriate. England, finally, could feel secure, having stared into the bloodshot eyes of one of the great tournament upsets. 

While Gareth Southgate's men continue their mission to prove there are no easy games in international football, their quarter-final opponents Switzerland had a more straightforward passage to the last eight.

The Swiss were 6-5 outsiders to qualify from their tie with Italy but they started brightly, scored a couple of fine goals either side of half-time, and closed out an impressive 2-0 win.

Admittedly, Fabian Schar almost added to the catalogue of outstanding own goals at Euro 2024 by heading against the post with Swiss keeper Yann Sommer stranded in a different canton.

Overall, though, it was a commanding display from Switzerland, who were far sharper than defending champions Italy, both in and out of possession, and will surely fancy their chances against the Three Lions on Saturday.

Let's get the silliness out of the way first. Yes, England have a mountain to climb against Switzerland. And yes, it should be a good game for the neutrals.

No preview of Saturday's fixture would be complete without quoting Harry Lime in the film 'The Third Man': "In Switzerland they had brotherly love, they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."

Lime's sentiment also applies to Switzerland's football history as they have produced little more than a series of forgettable last-16 exits and some Xherdan Shaqiri wonder-strikes.

It doesn't take much for an international team to be labelled a 'golden generation' – just winning a couple of corners in quick succession can be enough to earn the tag.

But the strength of the current Swiss side is the way that coach Murat Yakin has successfully blended the generations. The spine of the team who outplayed Italy was the same who had lost 6-1 to Portugal in the 2022 World Cup round of 16.

Goalkeeper Sommer had the same three defenders – Schar, Ricardo Rodriguez and Manuel Akanji – in front of him while midfielders Granit Xhaka and Remo Freuler and forwards Ruben Vargas and Breel Embolo also started the two contrasting last-16 ties.

Switzerland, like a European version of Mexico, traditionally struggle to clear the first knockout-stage hurdle at major tournaments.

Their World Cup pedigree is modest and they qualified for only one of the nine tournaments between 1966 and 2006. They have suffered last-16 exits at four of the last five World Cups and their quarter-final appearance at Euro 2020, where they beat France on penalties before losing a shootout with Spain, was their best result at the tournament. 

Switzerland's group-stage campaign at the 2010 World Cup epitomised their limitations on the international stage. Having pinched a 1-0 win over Spain, who went on to lift the trophy, they lost 1-0 to Chile and drew 0-0 with Honduras to finish with a record of W1 D1 L1 F1 A1.

While Swiss teams of the past plodded their way through the group stage before crashing out in the last 16, Yakin's men have more attacking verve about them.

The 25-year-old Vargas scored a cracking goal against Italy, the 23-year-old Dan Ndoye notched against Germany and had four shots as an attack-minded wing-back against the Azzurri, and forward Fabian Rieder, 22, has started the last two games.

Lively strikers Embolo and Kwadwo Duah both found the net in Switzerland's opening win over Hungary and they will be aiming to wipe the smile – as well as the scowl, grimace, frown, pout and smirk – off Pickford's face this weekend.

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