Gareth Southgate expects a tough encounter against Switzerland but knows England must be better to secure progression to the semi-finals of Euro 2024. 

Southgate will celebrate his 100th game in charge of the Three Lions in Dusseldorf, hopeful of marking the milestone with not only a win, but an improved performance. 

Southgate may not have overseen his landmark fixture if it wasn't for Jude Bellingham's late intervention to send the game to extra-time against Slovakia. 

Bellingham scored England's latest ever goal in normal time at a major tournament in some style, turning home Marc Guehi's header with a stunning bicycle kick. 

Harry Kane headed England over the line just 50 seconds into extra-time, reaching a tournament quarter-final for a fourth time under Southgate's stewardship.

"I can imagine how everybody's going to react to that even though we've won, but we're still in there," Southgate said.

"We want to be better, I'm not going to hide from that. But the spirit and the character was there for everybody to see."

Switzerland, however, have been one of the standout sides at the tournament thus far, knocking out Euro 2020 winners Italy in the quarter-finals. 

Despite England's favourable record against the Swiss, Southgate insists his side will face a different challenge in Dusseldorf. 

"I think the game against the Swiss will throw completely different tactical problems, just as difficult, just as complex," Southgate said. "A different solution to solve."

For Switzerland head coach Murat Yakin, he is confident of causing an upset to set up a clash with the Netherlands or Turkiye in the semi-finals. 

A key feature of Switzerland's style of play has been their intensity in the press, something Yakin believes can disrupt England. 

"When we put on our pressing, we won't let them play. That's our job," Yakin said. 

"We played well against Germany, we played well against Italy, so why shouldn't we beat England?

"We're in a good mood now. Let's see, it's a good challenge and my team is ready to have this big fight against England."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

England - Kieran Trippier

Much has been made of Kieran Trippier's poor performances at Euro 2024 so far, but he has proven to be a reliable attacking outlet for Southgate through the years.

The Three Lions are set to revert to a back three, a shape that brought them so much success at previous tournaments and could unlock Trippier's attacking potential. 

Tripppier has created more chances (seven) and made more line-breaking passes behind the defensive line (six) than any other England player at the tournament so far. 

Switzerland - Granit Xhaka

A familiar face to many within the England camp, Granit Xhaka will be given the task of halting the influence of Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham. 

But the former Arsenal midfielder has added an extra element to his game, often offering a threat in the more advanced areas for Switzerland. 

Xhaka has created more chances (eight), completed more passes (254) and made more line-breaking passes (51) than any other Switzerland player so far at Euro 2024.

MATCH PREDICTION: ENGLAND WIN

Despite the nature of their victory over Slovakia, England are still predicted as favourites to reach the semi-finals of Euro 2024, winning 44.9% of pre-match simulations in Opta's data-led predictions.

The Three Lions have lost just one of their last 24 meetings with Switzerland in all competitions (17 wins, six draws), and are unbeaten in 13 (nine wins, four draws), which perhaps contributes to their favourable win probability. 

This will be the fourth meeting between England and Switzerland at a major tournament, their third at the European Championships (two wins, one draw previously). 

However, Switzerland have built new-found belief at these European Championships and will have confidence of causing an upset. 

Yakin's side have lost just one of their last 14 in the competition (five wins, eight draws), having endured a run of six losses in eight matches (two draws) at the tournament beforehand. 

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

England - 44.9%

Draw - 29%

Switzerland - 26%

Marc Guehi praised the influence of fellow England defender John Stones during his time at Euro 2024, labelling his defensive partner as "a big brother". 

England secured top spot in Group C following their 0-0 draw with Slovenia in Cologne, setting up a meeting with Slovakia this Sunday for a place in the quarter-finals. 

Guehi, who started every group game for Gareth Southgate, seamlessly slotted into England's back four in the absence of recent tournament veteran, Harry Maguire. 

The Crystal Palace defender has performed well in Germany, putting his displays down to the influence of Stones in the Three Lions' camp in Blankenhain. 

"I'd say credit to him. Not only is he a fantastic player, he's a top person, someone that I think everyone in the squad gets along with," said Guehi.

"And he's constant, I'd say, almost like a big brother, putting his arm around you, taking care of you, do you know what I mean?

"But yeah, I'm going off him in a way. He's leading it, he's orchestrating things, and I'm just learning off him every single day, so it is a joy to play with him."

Much was made of England's defensive options heading into the Euros, with Stones' long-term defensive partner Maguire not named in the final 26-man squad. 

With the absence of the Manchester United defender, Southgate's centre-back options ahead of the tournament had made just 36 appearances for their country, with Stones having achieved more caps (75) than Joe Gomez (15), Guehi (11), Lewis Dunk (6) and Ezri Konsa (4) combined. 

"Yeah we get the information quite often to be fair, especially after the games," Guehi said on the pre-tournament talk of England's defence being a weak link. 

"Almost as an incentive, I guess to carry on to make sure that standards remain high, but yeah, like I said, it's definitely a collective, it's not just the back four, for sure it's the entire team that are playing a part in this."

In recent major tournaments, England have been renowned for their defensive stability and have kept two clean sheets at Euro 2024 so far. 

Across the last two European Championship tournaments, England have kept more clean sheets than any other side (seven in 10 games). All seven of those have been achieved with Jordan Pickford in goal. 

The only shot stoppers with more clean sheets at the tournament are Spain’s Iker Casillas (9), Netherlands’ Edwin van der Sar (8) and Italy’s Gianluigi Buffon (8).

"Yeah I'd say I'm not particularly used to Jordan to be honest, I think it's a bit of a shock at first, but actually, when you look back on it, he's fantastic," Guehi said. 

"Constant communication, constantly making sure that you're staying alert and you're awake in the game. Like you say, his clean sheet record speaks for itself. He's honestly a top goalkeeper."

Marc Guehi has said that England head coach Gareth Southgate has the full confidence of his team-mates as the Three Lions prepare for their last-16 tie with Slovakia. 

The England team concluded their Group C campaign with a goalless draw against Slovenia in Cologne, topping the group with five points ahead of Denmark. 

But the sound of the full-time whistle was greeted with boos from the travelling Three Lions support, with much of it aimed towards Southgate. 

Guehi, who has started every game in Germany so far, has been a shining light for England as he continues to build a solid partnership alongside John Stones. 

"He has been fantastic for England. If you look at his record, it speaks for itself," 23-year-old Guehi said on the Three Lions boss. 

"Everyone is behind the manager and we have a really close tight-knit group just focused on the next group. Everyone appreciates him, especially me.

"He gave me my debut for England and he’s showed so much confidence in me. I am really grateful and I'm sure the rest of the team is as well."

As the curtain closed on the group stage on Wednesday, a shock Georgia win against Portugal meant that England would avoid the Netherlands in the knockout stages and fall on the favourable side of the draw. 

Spain, Germany, Portugal, France and Belgium are in the other half of the draw, adding further expectation for England to end their wait for a first international honour in 58 years.

However, the Crystal Palace defender believes there are no easy games at this stage of the competition. 

"Everyone has seen in this competition that I don't think there is a favourable side of the draw," he said. "Every opponent is tough to play against.

"We just need to remain calm. We put pressure on ourselves, but it’s a very calm and focused environment. We just need to continue focusing on one thing at a time."

Gareth Southgate confirmed John Stones’ substitution against Iceland on Friday was precautionary after sparking injury concerns.

The Manchester City defender started England’s final warm-up game, partnering Marc Guehi in central defence.

However, he was taken off at half-time following a clash with an Iceland player, who landed awkwardly on Stones’ ankle.

"It was mainly precautionary," said Southgate.

"He took a bit of a knock to the ankle really early in the game, but at half-time, there was no point taking any chance. We're too close to the start of the tournament, there's no point risking it."

This comes after Harry Maguire was cut from the final 26-man squad after failing to recover from a calf issue that has kept him out since April.

Jarrad Branthwaite and Jarell Quansah were the other centre-backs to miss out, though the Liverpool man remained with the squad on standby.

England begin their Euro 2024 campaign against Serbia in Group C on June 16. 

What the papers say

The Telegraph reports signs are increasing that Crystal Palace are looking to sell defender Marc Guehi in the summer. The paper says club bosses have begun to draw up a list of centre-back targets to pursue in the next transfer window. Summer will be Palace’s last chance to sell the in-demand 23-year-old for a significant fee, as he enters the final two years of his Palace contract.

Newcastle are in talks to sign Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly on a free transfer, according to the Daily Mail. The 25-year-old is set to be out-of-contract in the summer.

i sport says Championship side Hull intend to pursue a permanent deal for on-loan Liverpool winger Fabio Carvalho. However, the club would only make the move if they win promotion to the Premier League.

And The Independent reports Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim is Barcelona’s top target to succeed outgoing boss Xavi at the end of the season.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Joshua Kimmich: Manchester City lead Liverpool in the chase for the Bayern Munich midfielder, according to the website Caught Offside.

Joshua Zirkzee: Italian outlet Tuttosport says Manchester United recently sent scouts to watch the Bologna striker.

What the papers say

Liverpool have identified Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi as a transfer target this summer, the Telegraph reports. Manchester United are also interested in the 23-year-old.

In an effort to replace Kylian Mbappe, the i says Paris St Germain are interested in Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford, Napoli striker Victor Osimhen and Barcelona midfielder Gavi.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Harry Kane: Football Transfers says Manchester United could once again try and lure the Bayern Munich striker and England captain to the club.

Gleison Bremer: Manchester United are also interested in the 26-year-old defender, currently at Juventus, who has been valued at £59.8million, Italian outlet Calciomercato says.

Chelsea finished strongly to win 3-1 at Crystal Palace, with Conor Gallagher punishing his former side at Selhurst Park.

The depleted hosts, who had lost the influential Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi to injury, took the lead via a Jefferson Lerma screamer – his maiden Eagles goal.

Gallagher equalised almost immediately after a delayed start to the second half, firing home his first of the Premier League season in the 47th minute.

Just as it seemed the relegation-threatened hosts were close to securing a valuable point, Gallagher struck in his second on the stroke of normal time, moments before Enzo Fernandez ensured Chelsea would end the evening in the top half of the table.

It was difficult to predict what kind of reception Palace would receive after the 4-1 loss at rivals Brighton, after which some players and fans in the away end exchanged heated words, and the frequent appearance of protest banners in recent weeks.

And though several were raised ahead of kick-off – “supporters ignored and taken for granted”  among them – the overall mood was perhaps less sour than boss Roy Hodgson, who had pleaded with supporters to back his diminished side, might have expected.

His players responded with an encouraging start, despite the visitors enjoying the lion’s share of possession, pouncing on loose balls with promising drives into Chelsea’s final third.

Palace took the lead at the half-hour mark, shortly after Jean-Philippe Mateta had missed a chance to fire the hosts ahead,  when Lerma managed to liberate himself from a quartet of tumbling and battling bodies and patiently took a few paces forward before blasting the ball high into the net from 25 yards out.

Former Eagles loanee Gallagher, who scored the winner in the October 2022 edition of this fixture, fired wide of Dean Henderson’s left post before the break, by which the Blues had completed 420 passes but not registered a shot on target.

The second period got off to a delayed start after referee Michael Oliver experienced technical issues, the stadium singing and laughing along as Bob Marley’s ‘Three Little Birds (Everything’s Gonna Be Alright)’ was pointedly played in the pause.

It proved to be an ironic choice when Gallagher side-footed Malo Gusto’s delivery past Henderson in the 47th minute and the away end immediately began taunting the home support with their own version of the famous reggae refrain, including an emphatic “Chelsea”.

Although a livelier and more disciplined Blues side had emerged for the second half, the hosts were not without their chances. Thiago Silva slid to deny Mateta and Daniel Munoz, in his first home start, tested goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic from a tight angle.

Ben Chilwell cringed after blasting a good chance over the crossbar, close enough to lure Henderson into a leap as Chelsea continued to apply pressure.

With just under 15 minutes remaining in normal time, Matheus Franca forced Petrovic into a good diving save, before Cole Palmer was denied by Henderson soon after.

Palace survived another Chelsea set piece and, with less than 10 minutes to go, were able to crowd substitute Raheem Sterling, nearly set up for a dangerous chance from Palmer’s cross.

Both sides pushed for more and, just as it seemed like Palace had clung on for a vital point, Palmer picked out Gallagher who, in a deja-vu moment for the home support, swept Chelsea into a 90th-minute lead.

Any hope of a late Eagles reply was dashed in added time when Fernandez took his time before firing into the top left corner. Palmer again provided the assist.

What the papers say

Juventus have emerged as potential suitors for Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey, 30, according to the Daily Mirror. The Gunners have been linked with Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz, 25.

Chelsea are streamlining their transfer policy with a “one in, one out” approach. The Daily Telegraph says the move could see a number of players making way for new signings.

Among those who could leave the Blues are 39-year-old Brazilian defender Thiago Silva, whose contract is set to expire next summer, according to the Evening Standard. England Under-21 defender Trevoh Chalobah, 24, who is up for sale is another who coule be on the way out.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Tristan Aldcroft Panduro: Manchester City and Arsenal have sent scouts to watch the 15-year-old FC Copenhagen midfielder, reports the Daily Mail.

Marc Guehi: Manchester United have made Crystal Palace’s 23-year-old centre-back their primary January target, according to Football Insider.

Marc Guehi is aiming to be England’s ‘Steady Eddie’ after overcoming doubts during a loan stint at Swansea to become a regular in Gareth Southgate’s squad.

The Crystal Palace centre-back, 23, has seven senior caps and has featured in three of the previous four games ahead of the final Euro 2024 qualification double-header against Malta and North Macedonia.

Having come through the ranks at Chelsea, where he credits Claude Makelele as a mentor, Guehi never made a Premier League appearance for the Blues but is now a fixture in the division in south London.

Guehi was also capped at every England age group from Under-16s upwards until making his senior debut last year.

Asked how he has dealt with every step up in his career, Guehi replied: “The trait is, that in my life everything has been quite steady. Growing up I was never pushed on too soon, or left behind.

“It was always quite steady and my career has been exactly the same. In the academy, going out on loan, steadily playing game after game and gaining confidence. Getting the move to Palace and finding my feet in the Premier League and now coming here with England.

“So when you talk about those steps and progression, everything for me has been quite natural. I just see things how they are and take things how they come.

“When I said about the steadiness, along that pathway there is those setbacks. I think it’s your job as an individual to just learn from those as quickly as possible. And not allow them to drag you from behind.

“There’s been many setbacks and always will be. It’s about learning from them and using those moments to prove yourself.”

The main setback for Guehi was during his time on loan at Swansea, a move which coincided with the start of the coronavirus pandemic that shut down football for over three months during the 2019/20 season.

Guehi was away from home and had fallen out of favour in the Swansea team, not featuring in the final four matchday squads before football was halted – although he returned to get back into the side before spending another campaign on loan at the Liberty Stadium.

“Not many people know, it was tough for me at Swansea,” he said.

“I have not spoken about it, everyone thinks it was plain sailing, great. I played the first four games and then I didn’t play up until after lockdown. Being away from home, in Swansea, different country, on your own, there’s going to be challenges, going to be tough.

“Those moments were difficult, you take those moments, learn from them, try to move on and put them right. I was just out of favour. Not anything in particular. I came from Chelsea, came with a lot of confidence, and my confidence almost gets knocked.

“Thankfully, I did get back home, just in time before (lockdown), it was so strange to say it, for so many people around the world it was horrible, for my family, and so many people around.

“For me, it was probably the best moment, I could get away from football, be with my family, and just focus on myself. How can I now if football does come back – thankfully football did come back – if we do get back to playing, how can I get back in this team?

“I genuinely enjoyed Swansea. It was good. Swansea was a great place for me to play. I had a great view from an apartment looking out onto the beach although it was not sunny but it was still a decent view.”

Guehi, who plays drums at his church when time allows and whose father is a pastor, has used setbacks such as his experiences in south Wales, to build a stronger mentality.

“It is like building calluses but in your mind,” he added.

“Going through those moments does help you in everyday life, everyday situations. You might have a bad game but you remember what you’ve gone through before, and you almost put that to bed and go I just need to prove myself the next game. Moving steadily.”