BERLIN, JUNE 29: Switzerland coach Murat Yakin said Friday he was hoping to spring a surprise against Euro 2024 last 16 opponents Italy.
His side face the reigning champions on Saturday in Berlin and while Yakin admires Italys tactical football, he said his own teams set-up was more important to him.
Italy changed formation for their 1-1 draw against Croatia which saw them scrape into the knock-out rounds but while Yakin is not planning big changes, he did want to keep his opponents on their toes.
"Weve done our homework, not only looking at these three games but previous matches prior to the tournament, and weve always been struck by how Italy can mix things up in terms of personnel and shape," Yakin told reporters.
"We
e ready for Italy, thats the home of tactical football and I like the way they do things -- they defend as a unit, they man-mark all over the pitch and not many teams do...
"However I want to focus on how we set up, our tactics and maybe even catch them off-guard."
The sides drew twice in qualifying for the 2022 World Cup and Switzerland finished top of the group with Italy failing to make it to Qatar.
"I hope we can experience something similar tomorrow night, weve fought very hard to make it here," continued Yakin.
"Italy are a neighbouring country, we know them well, we know all about their temper, tactics and quality. —AFP
