Updated June 24, 2021, 4:07 p.m.
- Our editorial team has put together the best eleven of the EM preliminary round.
- A German makes it into the team.
- Sweden, Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands, France, Belgium, the Czech Republic and Portugal are also represented.
National coach Joachim Löw has recently kept a tactical 3-4-3. So our editorial team was also guided by this tactical variant when they put together their top team for the group phase of the 2021 European Championship. Striking: The best players at this European Championship earn their living mainly in Italy or England.
Robin Olsen (31 / goalkeeper / Everton FC / Sweden): Robin Olsen is one of the guarantors of the Swedish success: The goalkeeper drove the Spaniards into despair. He also kept his box clean against Slovakia. Only Robert Lewandowski (Poland) was able to overcome him in the preliminary round.
Victor Lindelöf (26 / defender / Manchester United / Sweden): The minimalist Scandinavians have been one of the big surprises of this EM so far. At the start, the Swedes faced wild attacks from the much better rated Spaniards. Victor Lindelöf held his defense together splendidly – and only had problems in the last group game against world footballer Lewandowski. But who doesn’t?
Leonardo Bonucci (34 / defender / Juventus Turin / Italy): 1.90 meters tall, with a strong header, uncompromising in duels – the veteran is a born central defender. At the EM 2021, nobody has been able to get past him so far. Many hopes rest on his experience in the middle of the defense that the “Squadra Azzurra” will finally have a big title again after winning the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
Simon Kjaer (32 / defender / AC Milan / Denmark): The blond boy is probably the best player at this European Championship so far. And that although his team only won one game – which was enough for the round of 16. Kjaer became a hero at the moment of shock about the collapsed Christian Eriksen. He was an important first responder and comforted Eriksen’s girlfriend on the pitch. In the 4-1 win against Russia, the Danish captain remained objective at all times and led his emotional colleagues through a heated all-or-nothing game. Predicate leadership player.
Denzel Dumfries (25 / right winger / PSV Eindhoven / Netherlands): In Germany, most of the fans hadn’t seen World Champion Mario Götze’s club colleague yet. That changed with his furious performance against Ukraine (3: 2). Because: Dumfries was to be found everywhere, really everywhere. He also stressed the Austrians (2-0) with a goal and an assist. If he goes to the baseline, there is a fire in the opponent’s penalty area.
Also read: Disgrace averted: where the German game is stuck – and why there is hope
Paul Pogba (28 / midfield / Manchester United / France): Didn’t let Toni Rüdiger’s “Knabber-Attacke” bother you. After that, he remained the sportsman and preferred to report on the friendship with the German national player. He’s perhaps the best box-to-box player on the pitch. Has calmed down in his actions and works an incredible amount for the team of the “Equipe Tricolore”.
Kevin De Bruyne (29 / midfield / Manchester City / Belgium): Tragic figure of the Champions League final: After his facial fracture, an entire football nation feared. But the supposedly best playmaker in the world returned impressively against Denmark (2-1) and decided the game for the co-favorites with his goal. Finally he conducted against Finland (2-0) in the control center as if he had never been injured.
Robin Gosens (26 / Left Winger / Atalanta Bergamo / Germany): A tireless worker. Good game against France, very good performance against Portugal, at least struggled against Hungary. Blessed with the goal danger of a center forward and an incredibly heavy shot. His gratitude for being able to play in the national team at all is palpable in every situation.
Romelu Lukaku (28 / Sturm / Inter Milan / Belgium): Prototype of a massive center forward. Has three goals at Euro 2021 after scoring 24 times in Serie A during the season. Hard to hold in the box, sometimes comes explosively from the depths. Is therefore unpredictable for every line of defense.
Patrik Schick (25 / Sturm / Bayer Leverkusen / Czech Republic): In the last Bundesliga season (nine goals) there were always problems after RB Leipzig refused to let him go. At the European Championships, he proves that he had previously lacked instinct and callousness. Three goals are the reward.
Cristiano Ronaldo (36/Sturm/Juventus Turin/Portugal): This man never has enough. Not even at this European championship: Two goals against Hungary (3-0) were followed by a goal and an assist against Germany (2-4) and a penalty double against world champions France. His dribbles into the box are becoming less frequent, but when he gets through the doorbell usually rings. He has now scored an unbelievable 109 goals in no less than 178 internationals.
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