Forget the favourites. Turkey, Switzerland and Austria’s tactics is what made Euro 2024 fun

When the European Championship concludes tomorrow, Spain or England will achieve a new record.

Under Gareth Southgate, England have reached two consecutive European Championship finals but are hoping to win the trophy for the first time. On the other hand, a Spain triumph would give them with their fourth title — more than any European nation.

Despite England’s unconvincing performances throughout the competition, they were one of the pre-tournament favourites. Spain, France, Germany, Portugal and the usual suspects were also fancied.

The winners of Euro 2024 aren’t going to be outsiders like Greece in 2004 or Denmark in 1992, yet mid-level nations have made the matches more entertaining with their ambitious approach on and off the ball.

Switzerland got out of the group stage in their last five major tournaments and made it six this summer. The quarter-final stage is the farthest they have reached in a European Championship or World Cup, and only a penalty shootout loss against England prevented them from making history.

Murat Yakin’s team didn’t park the bus against England’s talented squad to reach the penalty kicks. They constantly tried to find solutions on the ball to play through the press, but it took them 45 minutes to figure things out — they adjusted their build-up by stretching their centre-backs and using Yann Sommer or Granit Xhaka in the first line.

Meanwhile, their wide centre-backs, Ricardo Rodriguez and Fabian Schar, caused England problems in the second half and Switzerland were close to winning the game more than once.

Switzerland’s proactiveness made it a more entertaining watch and improved their chances compared to bunkering in their 5-4-1 shape. This was also the case in their previous four matches against Italy, Germany, Scotland and Hungary.

The left-side rotations between wing-back Michel Aebischer and winger Ruben Vargas were a staple of Yakin’s side, with Aebischer drifting into midfield to assist Xhaka and Remo Freuler. Hungary couldn’t handle it in the first game of the group stage when Aebischer twice roamed infield to assist Kwadwo Duah and double the lead himself.

Italy suffered the same fate in the round of 16, and the efficient press that Switzerland showcased against Germany made things worse for Luciano Spalletti’s team. “It wasn’t just that we won,” said Yakin after beating Italy 2-0. “It was the way we won. That was hugely rewarding.”

Turkey also exited in the quarter-finals and, like Switzerland, showcased their technical quality in the final third. They weren’t the most solid team defensively but pushed their full-backs, Ferdi Kadioglu and Mert Muldur, to empower the team’s threat from wide areas.

That was perfectly illustrated in their first goal in the competition, when Kadigolu’s cross was cleared and Muldur volleyed the ball into the top corner to give Turkey the lead against Georgia.

UK readers can watch the goal here:

Turkish delight in Dortmund! ⚽️#BBCEuros #Euro2024 #TURGEO pic.twitter.com/ENbdVJPr8I

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) June 18, 2024

U.S. readers can watch it here:

GOOOOAAAL FOR TURKEY!!! 🇹🇷

What a volley from Mert Müldür! 👏 pic.twitter.com/OcCUXOzXu5

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 18, 2024

Using Arda Guler as a false nine and Baris Yilmaz’s off-ball runs down the right wing also proved effective. Guler scored a screamer in the 3-1 victory against Georgia after dropping to counter-press, Yilmaz’s ventures on the right flank against the Czech Republic awakened Vincenzo Montella’s team in the second half, and both combined in Turkey’s first attack against Austria to win the corner through which Merih Demiral scored the opener.

In that round-of-16 game, Austria couldn’t break down Turkey’s back five in the first half, but their narrow front four cut through them in the second, with the introduction of Michael Gregoritsch offering an additional aerial threat inside the penalty area. Turkey’s defence succumbed to the shower of crosses and only the save of the tournament from Mert Gunok stopped Austria’s progress in Euro 2024.

Ralf Rangnick’s side topped Group D, which included France, Poland and the Netherlands, after changing their style to an energetic and proactive one, which the players have warmed to. “It’s been almost two years since the coach and his team joined, and we’ve seen a clear development,” said Marcel Sabitzer after Austria’s 3-2 victory against the Netherlands.

“We were a bit passive against the ball before and we’ve changed that. We’re strong against the ball now. Everyone knows that if they lose the ball, they have to immediately switch over and go on the chase.

“That’s probably the biggest difference but with the ball, we have a very good man (Rangnick) there who always gives us good input and creates spaces where we want to play.”

The direct and high-intensity style suited Austria’s squad with many having either played within the Red Bull club network, of which Rangnick was the tactical architect, or worked with coaches influenced by him.

Didier Descahmps’ France suffered against their pressing, Poland got caught in their fast-paced attacking transitions, and Netherlands’ defence was torn apart by their front four’s off-ball movement.

It wasn’t only about Switzerland, Turkey and Austria. Romania, Slovakia and Denmark had clear ideas of how they wanted to play with and without the ball despite their less impressive results.

Even Albania, Slovenia, Ukraine and Georgia tried to play to the strengths of their individual talents — whether that was Jasir Asani’s ball-striking ability, Benjamin Sesko’s runs in behind, Georgiy Sudakov’s touch and movement between the lines, or Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s dribbling.

Considering the available technical quality to these nations, most of them tried to be proactive when the opportunity presented itself. In a parallel universe where they shut up shop from the first whistle until the last minute without any threat on the counter, there wouldn’t be any objections.

However, that wasn’t the case in Euro 2024 and the positive approach by those teams gave them a higher probability of progressing to the final rounds.

Slovenia lost on penalties against Portugal in the round of 16, Austria and Turkey’s clash in the same round meant that one of them had to be eliminated, a Jude Bellingham bicycle kick denied Slovakia a place in the quarter-finals, and Switzerland were closer than ever to reaching the semi-finals.

The minnows gave it a go and made Euro 2024 fun with their positive approach.

(Top photo: Mert Muldur and his Turkey team-mates celebrate scoring against Georgia; by Alberto Pizzoli/AFP via Getty Images)