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The Round of 16 stage of UEFA Euro 2020 was the best we've seen in the tournament so far. For the promotion of the sport, the 28th of June 2021 will always be remembered as one of the greatest days of football. We're still trying to establish that we can try to reason out everything that happens, but the game is absolutely bonkers, as we've seen clearly in the past 48 hours or so.
Goals were scored and mistakes were made in crucial moments, which is only natural considering the number of goals we had at this stage of Euro 2020. It's been a remarkable few days of football and I live in the hope that it will continue in the games ahead, as eight teams look to battle it out to win the competition.
In terms of the players who have surprised me with their performances so far at Euro 2020, it wasn't easy to just name five, as quite a few of them have announced themselves on the grandest stage. The likes of Pedri, Paul Pogba and Granit Xhaka came under consideration, but they are already known to the wider audience, so I've gone for a few players who wouldn't necessarily draw attention when you watch them play.
#5 Patrik Schick | Czech Republic, Bayer Leverkusen
I remember watching Patrik Schick play in 2018 in a UEFA Champions League semifinal against Liverpool, he was with Roma at the time. He played as a wide attacker and had some nice touches, decent skill for a tall guy and a good left foot. That said, I didn't think he was particularly effective in that position - he didn't look at home at all as a left-winger. His record in Rome was five goals from 46 games, which is not a good return and more importantly, it tells us that the player isn't getting what he wants.
Schick needed to play centrally, and that's exactly what's happening with the Czech Republic at Euro 2020. He's 25 now, but he laid the foundation for what's to come in the first half of his 20s. As a center forward, he looks more at home and is comfortable with what's going on, so he's matured really quickly in a role that suits his strengths. Earlier in his career, he was a little lightweight and maybe that's why he was playing out wide. He hadn't developed physically, so it would've been tough for Schick to come up against big central defenders.
I would consider the Czech Republic to be one of the most aggressive sides at Euro 2020. They are a strong physical unit and Schick is certainly playing his part as the focal point of the attack. Since arriving in the Bundesliga, his numbers have been a lot better with RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen. For the national team, he has scored an impressive 15 goals in 30 appearances — including four at Euro 2020 — which is a creditable record considering it's pretty much a goal every other game.
Looking back on the quality of his goals at Euro 2020, the first one against Scotland isn't spoken of enough. He got right in the thick of the action and towered above the Scottish backline to break the deadlock at Hampden Park. As for his second goal, it was absolutely fabulous and world-class what he did to David Marshal, who looked like a fish in a net after the ball landed in the back of the net from the halfway line!
The goal he scored against Croatia was also a big one. It was a penalty, but he slotted it home rather comfortably after winning the spot-kick himself. The one against the Netherlands might look like a tap-in, but if you're in the right place at the right time, you'll have plenty of those.
Overall, Schick has performed wonderfully at Euro 2020 and you can't argue with that. The Czech Republic take on Denmark in the quarterfinals, he might look at that game and think of it as another opportunity to add to his tally, as the Danes continue to sweat over the fitness of Simon Kjaer. It's another day for a goal or two, you wouldn't bet against him and it'll certainly be interesting to see what influence he can have.
Schick has matured as a player and is embracing the responsibility for his side, I see all that happening now. He's very comfortable with anything that comes his way and can deal with situations better now. He's there in the team to finish and score goals, but he's also a key part of the Czechs' build-up play and is progressing hugely at Euro 2020.
Bayer Leverkusen will be delighted, they are adding £10 million to his valuation with every goal he scores. Well done, Patrik Schick!
#4 Emil Forsberg | Sweden, RB Leipzig
Emil Forsberg is someone who grabbed my attention when I was covering the Bundesliga for BT Sport a few seasons ago. I was learning about the league when I was drawn to him - he caught my eye in terms of his cheekiness. When you talk about Sweden at Euro 2020, their left-back Ludwig Augustinsson bombed forward frequently, but Forsberg seemed to know that he'd make the run behind him. It's lovely when players have that kind of instinctive freedom in attack and Forsberg provides just that.
There's a purposeful devilment to his gameplay - he's all about the guile and the craft. He's very polished when it comes to his technical ability and sees himself as a #10, so he can pick out runners and work with what's around him. In the Euro 2020 encounter against Poland, he scored one goal with his right foot and the next one with his left, indicating that he's got the ability to go either way. When you have that in your locker, it gets really hard to defend against.
His penalty against Slovakia was also a big moment in Sweden's Euro 2020 campaign. He nonchalantly tucked it away to give his side an important victory late in the game, cementing his status as the goal-getter and the talisman of the team.
He enhanced Sweden's attack at Euro 2020. Alexander Isak also enjoyed a fantastic tournament, but he failed to get off the mark. Forsberg, on the other hand, was the reason Sweden made it through to the knockout stages, as they were beaten by Ukraine in devastating circumstances. To score three goals like that and spearhead his team to a place in the knockout stages shows that he's bearing all the responsibility and delivering when the stakes are high.
Sweden have been rigid with their formation over the years, but the likes of Forsberg and Isak added flair and flamboyance to the team at Euro 2020. There was a freedom about them in attack and Forsberg really opened all of that up. Goals aren't his priority, but he got himself into good positions.
I've always liked Emil Forsberg, but it's come to a point where it's hard to ignore what he did for Sweden at Euro 2020. His goals have been decisively taken and he has emerged as a real leader for his side, I wish him all the very best for what lies ahead!
Also Read: 5 young players who could become household names after Euro 2020
#3 Leonardo Spinazzola | Italy, AS Roma
Leonardo Spinazzola is an absolute no-brainer. We just can't ignore him anymore and he jumps at you every time Italy play at Euro 2020. The interesting thing is that he has been around for a while, but it's taken him a long time to become a key player for club and country. I've worked on Serie A in the past and I remember Spinazzola - he went out on a lot of loan spells before Roma decided to invest in him and take him to the capital.
I just enjoy watching and I'm not just saying that because it's the position I played in! When I watched him play against Turkey in Italy's Euro 2020 opener, I thought to myself where this guy has been. He's 28 now, so I asked myself why I hadn't seen more of him in the past if he's this good? He's had a series of injuries over the course of his career and didn't find himself at a club that was willing to persist with him through his lows until he joined Roma permanently in 2019.
I've absolutely loved watching Spinazzola, he's been the standout player in a really impressive Italy team at Euro 2020. He's already won two Man of the Match awards and provides the impetus and acceleration down the flank for his side, but the most impressive aspect of his game play is that he's primarily a right footer playing as a left-back. He's very comfortable on the ball and doesn't end up using his left foot too often. Even if he's forced to do so, he uses it to good effect and seems to cope with whatever danger that arrives on his side of the pitch.
I've been there myself as a full-back. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a winger who scored goals for his side, but I realized when I moved through the age groups that it wasn't going to work. In my schoolboy days, I played as a central midfielder and a center back before becoming a left-back. I didn't have the footwork or the pace and wasn't tricky enough to bypass defenders with ease. Spinazzola, on the other hand, is blessed with terrific footwork and has the surge of pace that some wingers would be jealous of!
He has also shown at Euro 2020 that he's not just about his crosses. Spinazzola is capable of coming back in on his right foot to play a diagonal pass or a through ball and has the vision to do something a little lighter if the situation calls for it. There isn't a particular aspect about that stands out because he's about his whole game and looks at ease in an Italian side that is blessed with a lot of quality at Euro 2020.
He wants to make up for lost time and has now found a period of fitness, I'm absolutely delighted for him. I know what it's like being injured and it's a horrible feeling. When you have a dream and it's cruelly taken away from you, people start talking about you and you get written off. Unfortunately, that's just the way the world works, it's easy to get caught in the negativity when injuries play a big part in your career.
Spinazzola has done wonderfully well at Euro 2020 and you just get the feeling that it's all done with the inner belief that he can take anyone on. It almost feels like he's just invincible! As I said earlier about the full back position - it's about when to be where. He has done everything for Italy at Euro 2020 and has been one of the players of the tournament so far.
I've been massively impressed with Leonardo Spinazzola. He's been a breath of fresh air and it's great to see him flying up and down the touchline for Italy.
#2 Andreas Christensen | Denmark, Chelsea
I like what I'm seeing now of Andreas Christensen at Euro 2020. He came on for Thiago Silva in the UEFA Champions League final and performed admirably, but he didn't start the game. He's never really had a sufficiently lengthy run in the Chelsea team over the years, but for Denmark, I admire the fact that he's just getting on with what he knows he can do.
He's not renowned as a purist footballing defender and has been criticized by pundits for not being a physical specimen. Nonetheless, he has plenty of other facets to his game and makes it all work. He played in a back four against Finland in Denmark's Euro 2020 opener and was stationed on the right side of a back three against Belgium, Russia and Wales. I was pleased for Christensen when he scored that stunning goal against Russia, I have no idea how the net stayed intact after his goal! He has worked really hard and deserved something big at Euro 2020, maybe that goal might just take him to another level.
Coming to his performance against Wales, he was tasked with coming up against Gareth Bale, who started the game incredibly well. If you allow Bale prominence on the ball and allow his connection with Aaron Ramsey to kick in, it's curtains for any team on the planet. In what went down as a brilliant tactical maneuver that worked like a treat, Christensen was moved to midfield after the first 10-15 minutes of the game to nullify Ramsey's threat. The result? He took the Welshman out of the game completely and spurred his team onto a historic 4-0 victory. I don't think he got enough praise for his performance, but he did a great job and was involved in an important tactical tweak that allowed the Danes to cope better with Wales' attacking threat.
Simon Kjaer might not play in the quarterfinals against the Czech Republic, so Christensen will look to step up and take on a bigger role as the leader of the backline. He's 25 now and ready for something bigger. I remember watching him in the FA Youth Cup final for Chelsea all those years ago and he was very cool and composed with players like Nathan Ake around him.
When I joined Liverpool, I was a young player rubbing shoulders with a lot of experienced pros. If that's the case, teams usually just let you go, but bit by bit, they add more responsibility to your game. Christensen has already gone through all of this in his career so far, hopefully he's ready to organize and be the voice at the back if Kjaer doesn't play. If he takes on the authority and elevates his game to a higher level, he could become a more important figure against the Czech Republic and possibly beyond.
The Christian Eriksen story is understandably bubbling under everything and people are referring back to Denmark's historic Euro 1992 campaign, it's getting really exciting for the Danes. I'm mightily relieved that Eriksen is ok and hope I never witness anything like it ever again, but injuries happen in major tournaments and teams have to adjust accordingly to plug holes in their squad. Christensen is doing exactly that and could emerge as Denmark's unsung hero if he manages to keep Patrik Schick quiet in the quarterfinals.
#1 Nico Elvedi | Switzerland, Borussia Monchengladbach
Nico Elvedi is already at a big club, but there's a good chance a lot of teams in Europe are keeping tabs on him. He played more minutes in all competitions than any other player for Borussia Monchengladbach last season and that shows that he's got a resilience about him.
What stood out for me was the fact that he would go out of his way to stop an attack and do the simple things right. Lots of defenders are coached to win the ball back and give it to someone who is better on the ball, but they often take matters into their own hands and don't end up doing as they are told. Elvedi, on the other hand, is very decisive in what he does and keeps it simple. His reading of the game is excellent and he anticipates things early. More often than not, he gets to the ball ahead of the striker, but even if he's beaten to it, he doesn't stick his foot out to concede cheap free-kicks.
He doesn't commit to challenges unnecessarily and is not anxious when he comes up against some of the game's best forwards, as he showed with his performance against Kylian Mbappe. In the first minute of the game against France, Elvedi stuck to his guns and dealt with him brilliantly and that set the tone for what was to come. Mbappe had a bit of a stinker and switched positions with Karim Benzema in the second half because he had enough of Elvedi.
France scored three goals, but there was just a sense of solidity about Elvedi's game. I like that a lot because defenders usually get flustered when they face pacy attackers, but he showed a lot of maturity and was Switzerland's Mr. Reliable at the back. He's doing really well for himself in the Bundesliga, but I just wonder if teams will look at him after Euro 2020 and think they can snap him up.
It's happened before in major tournaments - a good spell can make you look like one of the best players in the world and lead to a big-money move to a top European club. All of a sudden, you look out of order, particularly in the Premier League, as English football demands a lot more from its players physically. I'm not saying that will necessarily happen with Elvedi, but there's a good chance a handful of teams will have a look at him in the months ahead and think he looks extremely composed on the ball. Switzerland beat the world champions and made it through to the quarterfinals of Euro 2020, so it's only fair I give one of their players a mention.
I could've so easily gone for someone like Granit Xhaka, who was quite magnificent in the center of the park for his side, but the Arsenal man is a household name and is known to the wider audience. The biggest compliment I can pay to Elvedi is that he kept Kylian Mbappe at bay and made him change positions in the game. He was responsible for grinding him down and leaving him short on confidence, as he missed the decisive penalty in the shootout. I'm not suggesting Mbappe fluffed his lines because of Elvedi, but the Swiss defender got into his head and sent him a message early in the game that he wasn't intimidated by his blistering pace.
All the players I've mentioned are hugely important to their teams and have already played their part at Euro 2020. They may not get the biggest headlines, but in my humble opinion, they certainly deserve a mention. I wish all of them the very best!
Also Read: 5 players who could impress in unfamiliar positions at Euro 2020
