Euro 2016 Schedule: TV Info, Times, Live Stream, Picks for Round of 16 Fixtures
The wheat has been separated from the chaff as Euro 2016 enters its knockout stages on Saturday, with 16 of the continent's finest remaining in the hunt for this summer's crown.
Switzerland and Poland open Saturday's schedule before surprise package Wales take on home-nation rivals Northern Ireland, and a potential blockbuster sees Croatia take on Portugal.
On Sunday, hosts France will face the Republic of Ireland in a fixture that revives old wounds between the pair, while Germany take on Slovakia and Hungary hope to down the world No. 2 Belgium.
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Finally, European champions Spain will collide with 2006 world champions Italy on Monday before England close the round of 16 with their showdown against minnows Iceland.
Read on for a breakdown of all the essential viewing information for the round of 16, complete with picks for who will advance and a preview of some of the biggest fixtures on the schedule.
| Saturday, June 25 | 2 p.m. BST/9 a.m. ET | Switzerland | 1-2 AET | Poland | BBC One/ESPN |
| Saturday, June 25 | 5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET | Wales | 2-1 | Northern Ireland | BBC One/ESPN |
| Saturday, June 25 | 8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET | Croatia | 3-2 AET | Portugal | ITV/ESPN |
| Sunday, June 26 | 2 p.m. BST/9 a.m. ET | France | 3-1 | Republic of Ireland | ITV/ESPN |
| Sunday, June 26 | 5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET | Germany | 2-0 | Slovakia | ITV/ESPN |
| Sunday, June 26 | 8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET | Hungary | 1-2 | Belgium | ITV/ESPN |
| Monday, June 27 | 5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET | Italy | 2-1 | Spain | BBC One/ESPN |
| Monday, June 27 | 8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET | England | 1-1 (England Win on Pens) | Iceland | ITV/ESPN |
BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub will provide live stream coverage of Euro 2016 for audiences in the United Kingdom, while viewers in the United States can watch the action via WatchESPN.
Italy to Topple Title-Holders Spain
Spain's 2-1 defeat at Croatia's hands on Tuesday evening was the first European Championship they've suffered since Euro 2004, and their punishment for that display is a tough round-of-16 fixture opposite impressive Italy.
By losing to the Croats, Spain were relegated to a runner-up finish in Group D, and the Guardian's Sid Lowe bemoaned the side of the knockout draw they ended up in as "the dark side":
Considering they could have had a much simpler-looking draw against Portugal, the fixture against Italy seems like that much more of a penalty. However, Spain maestro Andres Iniesta has described their upcoming match as a blessing in disguise, per Goal's Jamie Smith:
"They're a powerful rival, a difficult rival, and [it will be] a good game. It's a game that will be useful to us if we are to keep developing and taking steps in these Euros. Aside from the final four years ago, all of our games have been very closely fought out. Italy have excellent players and a great defensive block we've known about for a long time.
Contrary to what I hear people saying, they also improved a great deal in terms of possession and ball-handling. They really stepped up, which makes the game on Monday even more complex and our aspirations even more difficult.
"
While Spain fielded close to a full-strength side against Croatia, Italy were able to rest the vast majority of their first-team stars in their 1-0 defeat to the Republic of Ireland, likely to be a major factor in Monday's clash.
Aside from their 3-0 thrashing of a fairly poor Turkey team, Spain haven't looked all too capable of winning a third consecutive European Championship, while the Azzurri have looked like the shock contenders emerging.
Prediction: Italy 2-1 Spain AET
Irish Eager to Move Past 2009 French Furore
It's been almost seven years since the Republic of Ireland's dreams of competing at the 2010 World Cup were reduced to rubble after an unseen Thierry Henry handball helped put France through to the tournament finals.
The Irish lost the qualifying play-off in 2009, and Men In Blazers was quick to describe its angst after being drawn opposite France in the round of 16:
However, striker Robbie Keane was eager to dismiss any talk of "revenge" when quizzed on the matter, insisting there's more to the matchup than redemption, per the Irish Examiner:
"Yeah I was there. I will not think about that for one second. How long ago was it? Seven years. F--king hell, move on.
This is why we play the game. We're playing against another good team, but we knew that if we were going to get out of the group, we were going to play top teams and we're playing the hosts.
Wouldn't it be great in the home country to knock them out?
"
Many might agree with Keane's sentiment, while others will feel the wound is still fairly raw despite the passage of time, and this is as great an opportunity as the Irish are ever likely to see against Les Bleus.
The Republic of Ireland are in the European Championship knockout stages for the first time in their history, and manager Martin O'Neill's side can prolong their record run with a win over the hosts on Sunday.
Prediction: France 3-1 Republic of Ireland
