The skill of the Switzerland goalkeeper when facing up in a shootout could decide the future of his team in the knockout rounds of Euro 2024.
After completing the initial knockout round of the Euro held in Germany, the quarterfinals take the focus and, like the round of 16 before, and the semis and final ahead, a pivotal element in progressing can be the presence of a formidable goalkeeper, especially considering the likelihood of penalty shootouts. Italy’s previous European Championship victory, decided in the final on penalties, underscores how crucial goalkeeping prowess can reshape the tournament’s narrative and we’ve already seen impressive performances from the likes of Portugal’s Costa this year.
Yann Sommer, Switzerland’s goalkeeper
One of the teams that successfully advanced past the group stage, and round of 16 against Italy, is Switzerland, who boasts a world-class goalkeeper in their ranks. We are talking about Yann Sommer, who at 35 years old, has had a great season with Inter Milan, playing in 43 matches. Sommer made his debut with the national team in 2012 and has since accumulated 94 caps.
How many penalties has Sommer saved?
Sommer is considered one of the top penalty stoppers in European football, with an impressive record in this area. Throughout his extensive career, the Swiss goalkeeper has saved 16 penalties during regular match play. The most recent instance was in January of this year, when he saved a penalty from Nicolás González in a match that Inter Milan won against Fiorentina.
Additionally, according to data from Transfermarkt, he has faced 79 penalties. Therefore, his save percentage in matches stands at 16.84%, having stopped 16 out of the 95 penalties he has faced.
How good is Sommer in penalty shootouts?
Sommer also excels in penalty shootouts. Notably, he saved a penalty from France’s Kylian Mbappé in the round of 16 at the previous European Championship, a stop that secured Switzerland’s advancement to the next round. Another recent shootout saw his team, Inter Milan, face Atlético Madrid in the Champions League round of 16. Sommer saved Saúl’s penalty, but it was not enough to secure a win. As can be seen from the table above, Sommer has prevented six attempts in a shootout.