Euro 2020 picks up again after two rest days with the quarter-finals starting on Friday.
Here we look at the statistical match-ups that could decide the four ties.
Switzerland v Spain
An irresistible force meets one of the championship’s most moveable objects, ominously for Switzerland.
Spain lead the way with 11 goals in their four games while no team has conceded more than Switzerland’s eight – that is level with Spain’s previous opponents Croatia and group-stage casualties Turkey and North Macedonia. Both sides’ games have seen 15 goals scored, matching Croatia for the most in the tournament.
Switzerland keeper Yann Sommer has made 11 saves while his side rank third in tackles made and won. Spain’s Alvaro Morata, whose 14 shots lead anyone remaining in the tournament and trail only Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo (16) overall, will look to keep Sommer busy again.
Spain also lead the way in possession – 67.5 per cent on average according to UEFA’s official figures, including 85 per cent in their group-stage game against Sweden – and passes completed, over 600 clear on 2,945.
Belgium v Italy
International football’s two form teams go head to head in Friday’s second match.
Italy have set a new national record of 31 games unbeaten going back to October 2018, beating the mark set by Vittorio Pozzo’s World Cup and Olympic champions of the 1930s. That includes wins in their last 12 games, without conceding a goal until Austria’s extra-time consolation on Saturday.
Their opponents are not far behind, though – Belgium are 13 games unbeaten, winning 11, and have lost only to England in the Nations League since the start of 2019. In 27 games each in that timeframe Italy have won 24 and drawn three, scored 80 goals and conceded seven, compared to Belgium’s 23 wins, three draws and one loss, 81 goals scored and 15 conceded.
Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku is one of the leading challengers for the Golden Boot with three goals, while Italy have Manuel Locatelli, Matteo Pessina and Ciro Immobile on two apiece. Each team have only conceded once at the other end.
Czech Republic v Denmark
Denmark have had the most shots on target in the tournament – 30, or 7.5 per match – and are second in total attempts with 77 to Italy’s 87. With a national-record nine goals at a single European Championship, they trail only Spain – two of whose 11 came in extra time against Croatia.
Martin Braithwaite has had 13 attempts, with only three on target and one goal, though he also hit a post against Wales and the crossbar against Belgium.
Spain (68) and Switzerland (60) are the only other teams with 60 or more shots and the Czechs trail with 41, of which 14 have been on target. They have faced only 42 though, with a combined nine on target for Croatia, Scotland, England and 10-man Holland and the Scots accounting for more than half of those.
Tomas Vaclik has conceded only twice but may face his toughest test to date.
Ukraine v England
England captain Harry Kane finally broke his goal duck in the win over Germany but his side’s progress has been built on defence, with four successive clean sheets for the best record in the tournament.
Jordan Pickford has made only seven saves with England facing just 35 shots in total – though they have taken only 27 themselves, far fewer than any other quarter-finalist.
The American adage “defence wins championships” has been borne out on this occasion, with six of the eight quarter-finalists ranking joint-sixth or better in terms of goals against.
Ukraine, though, are one of the two exceptions – the six they have let in is more than any of the remaining sides other than the Czech Republic. That could help England loosen the shackles, potentially boosting three-goal Raheem Sterling’s Golden Boot chase.
