England v Switzerland: Euro 2024 quarter-final – live | Euro 2024

31 min: Mainoo intervenes on the edge of the England penalty area to break up a Switzerland attack, taking the ball off the feet of Embolo. He boots the ball upfield and Akanji rolls it back to Yann Sommer.

30 min: Bellingham wins a corner for England. Trippier plays it short to Saka and within three seconds, the ball is back at the feet of Jordan Pickford. That is atrocious.

27 min: England play the ball from side to side, over and back across the pitch. Saka eventually gets another cross into the Switzerland penalty area but there’s nobody in a white shirt there to meet it.

25 min: Ricardo Rodriguez tries to play Embolo in behind with a nicely weighted pass but Konsa is wise to his caper. He is unable to prevent Embolo taking possession off the ball but does block his weak shot on goal.

23 min: Embolo gets penalised for a foul on Bellingham and gets a ticking-off from the referee. It’s a free-kick for England and an opportunity to get the ball into the Switzerland box, but Phil Foden overhits his delivery.

21 min: Saka beats his man and sends a cross into the six-yard box, where there’s no sign of his captain, Harry Kane. It’s turned behind for a corner, from which nothing comes.

21 min: The BBC commentator has just likened this match to a game of chess. Translation: it’s pretty boring.

20 min: Jude Bellingham advances upfield and plays the ball wide to Saka in a good position. While he wonders what to do next, Ruben Vargas robs him off possession.

17 min: Mainoo drives into the Swiss penalty area with the ball at his feet but a heavy touch results in the ball rolling to the feet of Sommer before the England midfielder can get a shot off. The Swiss goalkeeper picks it up and the danger is averted.

16 min: Kane tees up Mainoo for a shot from outside the area after good work by Rice, who intercepted the ball as Switzerland tried to play it out from the back. His effort is blocked.

15 min: Saka crosses into the Swiss penalty area, Kane heads the ball away from goal towards Rice and his shot from just outside the box is blocked. It’s pretty even so far.

12 min: England play the ball out to Kieran Trippier in the left-back position, he canters upfield and cuts inside, as is his wont as a right-footer. Switzerland force him backwards.

11 min: Breel Embolo tries to ferret his way through the right side of the England penalty area, squeezing between John Stones and Declan Rice. His progress is impaired by the latter and the ball squirts wide for a goal kick.

10 min: Switzerland attack down the left and this time it’s Ezri Konsa who is called upon to clear the ball into an England penalty area well populated by red shirts.

8 min: Dan Ndoye drills a low ball into the England penalty area from the right after skipping past Kieran Trippier as if the England full-back wasn’t there. Kobbie Mainoo hacks it clear before it can reach the feet of Aebischer or Breel Embolo.

7 min: Saka lays the ball off to Walker, who whips a cross into the Swiss penalty area. It’s cleared and the flag goes up for offside.

5 min: Despite all the pre-match chat about three at the back, England appear to have lined up with a back four. Kieran Trippier is on the left and Bukayo Saka is on the right.

3 min: Playing in red shirts, shorts and socks, Switzerland concede a throw-in near the halfway line as Michel Aebischer misjudges the speed of a crossfield pass from Dan Ndoye. The players of England are in white shirts, navy shorts and white socks.

2 min: Switzerland goalkeeper Yann Sommer gets his first touch of the game, fielding a backpass from Manuel Akanji.

England v Switzerland is go …

Not long now: Both sets of players march out on to the Dusseldorf Arena pitch, led by Italian referee Daniele Orsata and his assistants. On the touchline, managers Murat Yakin and Gareth Southgate exchange a warm embrace and a few words just before the national anthems.

Gary Lineker: On BBC’s coverage, the former England striker says that, in the system England are trying to play today, Harry Kane “is duty bound to stay as high up the pitch as he can”.

An email: “If the respective flags are any indication, these two sides will basically cancel each other out,” writes Peter Oh. “Fast-forward to penalty kicks!”

England: “Gareth Southgate’s side found success going wide against Slovakia and it can be a blueprint in their hunt for a semi-final berth,” writes Karen Carney.

Today’s match officials

Switzerland: “A sleek, confident team have been remoulded firmly in Granit Xhaka’s image,” writes Nick Ames in Hamburg, who says there would be an extra piquancy in him masterminding victory in a match where he will go toe-to-toe with Declan Rice, the £105m man who replaced him in Arsenal’s midfield.

Those teams: Gareth Southgate makes one change, bringing in Ezri Konsa for the suspended Marc Guehi. Murtat Yakin sticks with the same 11 players who started against Italy, which means Silvan Widmar has to settle for a place on the bench upon his return from the Uefa Naughty Step.

Gareth Southgate: Today marks the England manager’s 100th match in charge of his country. If his side fails to win, it will almost certainly be his last.

England: He created an environment in which players could flourish yet Gareth Southgate has become a lightning rod for rage, writes Barney Ronay.

England v Switzerland line-ups

Ezri Konsa starts for England

England: Performances in Germany have been laboured but Gareth Southgate’s side must break the shackles and try to enjoy themselves if they are to overcome Switzerland, writes Jacob Steinberg.

Early team news: With Marc Guehi suspended, the word on the word on the straße around England’s training camp is that Gareth Southgate plans to play three at the back, with Ezri Konsa likely to come in alongside Kyle Walker and John Stones in the heart of defence. Despite such a system being ideally suited to Trent Alexander-Arnold, the Liverpool defender is not expected to start and Kieran Trippier and Bukayo Saka will line up as wing-backs.

Despite being back in full training, Luke Shaw is not expected to start, as he has not played in a football match since going off injured against Luton Town while playing for Manchester United almost five months ago.

Switzerland boss Murat Yakin is believed to have a full squad to choose from despite concerns that Granit Xhaka, his side’s stand-out player of the tournament, might miss out with an adductor injury.

With Silvan Widmer available again after missing the win over Italy through suspension, Yakin must decide whether to recall him to his line-up or stick with Dan Ndoye, who excelled in the Mainz right-back’s absence. In the event of both players starting, Fabian Rieder will probably make way.

Preamble