Flop XI of Euro 2020

Kylian Mbappe is disappointed after his missed penalty against Switzerland at Euro 2020.
Kylian Mbappe is disappointed after his missed penalty against Switzerland at Euro 2020.

Central Midfielder - Marten De Roon (Netherlands)

Marten De Roon
Marten De Roon

Not a household name like his compatriots Memphis Depay or Frenkie De Jong who featured at Euro 2020, Marten De Roon is certainly a prominent talent.

The 30-year old midfielder plays for Atalanta in Serie A. De Roon had a superb season for Atlanta, who finished third in the league table last season. The box-to-box midfielder was expected to protect the backline for the Orange at Euro 2020, allowing the likes of De Jong and Wijnaldum more freedom.

But De Roon didn't continue his league form into Euro 2020. He failed to solidify the Netherlands' backline, as he made just one tackle during the entire campaign and failed to close down opponents entering dangerous areas.

Making 12 unsuccessful passes per game and having an 80% passing accuracy didn't help his team at Euro 2020. There is no denying that Marten De Roon often goes under the radar for whichever side he plays for, but his Euro 2020 campaign was certainly not what he would have hoped for.


Central Midfielder - Aleksandr Golovin (Russia)

Aleksandr Golovin
Aleksandr Golovin

Russia surprised many with their excellent run as hosts of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, beating a Spain featuring Gerard Pique, Sergio Ramos and David Silva and narrowly losing out on a place in the semi-final to Croatia.

Aleksandr Golovin, then 22, provided Russia with a creative spark throughout the tournament, scoring a goal and providing two assists in the opening game. He also made eight tackles and interceptions in Russia's famous win against Spain. Golovin came into Euro 2020 in great form too, registering five goals and nine assists in just over 1000 minutes for Monaco last season.

But he wasn't able to inspire his country at Euro 2020. Russia finished bottom of the group, where they were trounced by both Belgium and Denmark.

Averaging almost three key passes per game in Ligue 1, Golovin saw his chance creation fell by two-thirds at Euro 2020, as he failed to adapt to different roles across three games in the tournament. That meant Russia looked well and truly blunted at Euro 2020.


Central Attacking Midfielder - Bruno Fernandes (Portugal)

Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Fernandes

Bearing in mind that Bruno Fernandes played over 4,500 minutes of football for Manchester United last season, it's not that surprising to see that he looked pretty fatigued at Euro 2020 for Portugal. However, a brace against Israel in his team's final friendly before the tournament had suggested that he was ready to play a key role for Fernando Santos at the tournament.

With the likes of Bernado Silva and Diego Jota to link up with, it looked like he could do damage in the Euro 2020 group stage. However, all three of them failed to impress at the tournament, with Bruno Fernandes looking particularly out of place.

Portugal looked like a far more balanced team with Renato Sanches on the pitch instead. The frequency of Fernandes' chance creation at Euro 2020 was nowhere near the level he has displayed in club football. Moreover, his tenacity off the ball was rarely seen in his starts against Hungary and Germany.

He was one of many players for whom a summer of rest would have done a world of good.

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