Can Xhaka's near-perfect season inspire Switzerland?

This play could not person gone overmuch amended for Granit Xhaka and now is nan cleanable opportunity to lead his state to Euro 2024 success.

After an unbeaten home run pinch Bayer Leverkusen – resulting successful a first Bundesliga title successful their 120-year history - he has arrived astatine Euro 2024 pinch an elevated confidence.

The midfielder has made his people connected nan tourney picking up man of nan lucifer awards successful Switzerland’s opening victory complete Hungary and their important 1-1 tie with Germany.

However, contempt being Switzerland's all-time quality grounds holder, Xhaka's world profession has been a divisive 1 pinch much downs than ups.

With a last-16 necktie against Italy to travel connected Saturday (kicking disconnected astatine 17:00 BST), expectations are precocious successful Switzerland and they are looking to Xhaka to skipper his broadside to triumph and fulfil nan imaginable he has shown only successful patches truthful far.

"Success brings confidence. It’s been an important situation - nan 1 I had to person this play [at Bayer Leverkusen]," said Xhaka astatine nan commencement of nan tournament.

"It’s a pleasance to beryllium moving location each time arsenic a footballer. It hasn’t been a cleanable play because we mislaid nan Europa League final. But now is simply a caller challenge."

Xhaka's awesome play pinch Leverkusen, wherever he played a captious domiciled successful Xabi Alonso's title-winning midfield, raised eyebrows backmost home.

Local journalists described it arsenic nan "best play of his career" and were optimistic he could construe his nine shape onto nan world stage.

Swiss journalist Laurent Ducret, who writes for Keystone-SDA, told BBC Sport it was Xhaka's "last chance to beryllium successful pinch Switzerland" astatine Euro 2024.

"He looked very bully successful nan warm-up games earlier nan Euros but he has not shown his champion level pinch Switzerland, ever playing amended for his club," added Ducret.

That is simply a position wide shared among supporters.

Asked if Xhaka had delivered for Switzerland truthful far, Aural, a instrumentality from Geneva who was successful Frankfurt for nan group stages, said: "No way, nary chance. Not yet."

But journalists and fans still spot dream successful Xhaka, pinch Aural claiming they "would make him a statue" if he takes Switzerland each nan measurement to nan last successful Germany.

So far, he has surely stepped up to nan plate, dominating successful midfield and demonstrating his activity arsenic Switzerland progressed from their group pinch ease.

"I thought Xhaka was really bully each night," Leicester defender Conor Coady told BBC Two aft Switzerland's tie pinch Germany.

"He was superb successful nan measurement he managed nan midfield. With nan play he’s had, he’s coming into nan tourney pinch immense assurance anyway.

"Having him successful beforehand of nan backmost five, marshalling people, getting crossed nan transportation and up to nan box… I conscionable thought he was brilliant."

Aside from an underwhelming show against Scotland, Xhaka has been 1 of nan standout performers successful nan tournament.

He will beryllium tested again successful their adjacent lucifer pinch Italy and while Xhaka appreciates acknowledgement for his individual form, he is excited by his team's progression.

"I’m not a large instrumentality of numbers aliases individual trophies [like nan man of nan lucifer awards], let’s opportunity that," said Xhaka.

"For judge it’s makes maine happy, I will not dishonesty astir this, but what makes maine much happy is nan team, really they activity for each different and nan level we are playing.

"Six months agone we were not astir wherever we are today. Our training strength is overmuch higher than it was before. The value is overmuch better.

"Nobody knows earlier nan greeting of nan crippled who is starting. This is what makes america stronger. I’m happy to beryllium a portion of this team."

Xhaka's profession has been riddled pinch disapproval and controversy, including his clip astatine Arsenal, wherever his temperament was questioned and he was stripped of nan captaincy aft being booed by location fans successful a tie pinch Crystal Palace.

A akin inclination has followed for his country, pinch accordant exits successful nan last-16 stages of awesome tournaments - including a punishment shootout conclusion by Poland successful 2016, erstwhile Xhaka was nan only subordinate to miss his spot kick.

Speculation roseate successful 2018 that Xhaka could move his allegiance to correspond Kosovo and nan determination to grant him nan Switzerland armband has been questioned by erstwhile players, including ex-Liverpool defender Stephane Henchoz.

But successful caller years, Xhaka has turned a corner, performing consistently for Switzerland and proving to beryllium a champion successful their midfield.

He has nan support of his team-mates and location is simply a increasing belief he is yet delivering his champion shot for Switzerland.

Now, present successful Germany wherever he has conscionable enjoyed nan champion play of his career, could Xhaka beryllium nan 1 to animate Switzerland to glory?

"I dream so, yes. He had a very bully play pinch Leverkusen and I’m happy that he yet won a title successful Germany," guardant Xherdan Shaqiri told BBC Sport.

"He came present pinch much assurance - he has already a batch of assurance - but he came pinch moreover more. I’m happy for him.

"He pushes nan players and I dream he tin return this forwards. The nationalist squad possibly [puts] much unit connected him now and he has to woody pinch that.

"But I americium very happy he won this title pinch Leverkusen and hopefully he tin support going for illustration this."