Football

Switzerland cruised to a comfortable 4-0 victory over Estonia in their penultimate warm-up match before the Euro 2024 tournament in Germany. The match, played in front of a home crowd of 14,473 at the Swissporarena in Lucerne, marked Switzerland's first home game since November after a series of away fixtures.Steven Zuber opened the scoring for Switzerland in the 20th minute with a powerful strike from the edge of the penalty box. It was the AEK Athens winger's first goal for the national team since 2021. Burnley forward Zeki Amdouni doubled the lead in the 47th minute, finishing off a pass from Ruben Vargas.Defender Nico Elvedi extended Switzerland's advantage in the 63rd minute, capitalizing on Estonia's failure to clear a Xherdan Shaqiri free kick. Shaqiri, winning his 122nd cap, sealed the victory with a penalty in the 69th minute, despite his initial attempt being saved by Estonia goalkeeper Matvei Igonen.Switzerland coach Murat Yakin, who will announce his squad for the Euro 2024 tournament on Friday, was joined by Swiss Olympic giant slalom ski champion Marco Odermatt for the national anthems. The victory serves as a confidence booster for Switzerland as they prepare for their final warm-up match against Austria on Saturday at the Kybunpark in St Gallen.Austria, who are in Euro 2024 Group D alongside Poland, France, and the Netherlands, will provide a stern test for Switzerland. In the European Championship, Switzerland will face Hungary on June 15, Scotland on June 19, and hosts Germany on June 23 in Group A. Switzerland's best-ever performance in the tournament was reaching the quarter-finals in 2020.

Cole Palmer's penalty and Trent Alexander-Arnold's stunning volley propelled England to a 3-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in a Euro 2024 warm-up match at St James' Park.Palmer, making his first start for the Three Lions, showcased his clinical finishing with a spot-kick in the second half. The Chelsea forward has been in impressive form for his club this season, and his goal against Bosnia underlined his credentials for a place in Gareth Southgate's Euro squad.Alexander-Arnold, deployed in midfield by Southgate, was another standout performer for England. The Liverpool star scored a superb goal with a volley from Jack Grealish's cross, capping a lively display.Harry Kane, returning from injury, came off the bench to score England's third goal in the final seconds. The Tottenham Hotspur striker's goal put a flattering gloss on an inconsistent performance from an understrength England side.Southgate praised the performances of Palmer, Alexander-Arnold, and Crystal Palace midfielder Eberechi Eze, who all bolstered their chances of making the Euro squad. However, Ollie Watkins, Conor Gallagher, and Jarrod Bowen may rue missing their opportunity to impress.Despite the victory, Southgate acknowledged that England still have questions to answer before the Euros. The team's passing was ponderous and their movement sluggish in the first half, but they improved in the second half.Southgate must now cut seven players from his provisional 33-man squad by Friday's deadline. England's final warm-up match before the Euros is against Iceland at Wembley on Thursday.