STARS OF THE SHOW!
THIS FAB FOUR ALL MAKE CHRIS SUTTON’S TEAM OF THE TOURNAMENT (SO FAR) BUT WHO IS THE SURPRISE ENGLAND PICK?
GK DANNY
WARD, WALES WARD has made more appearances for Wales at this tournament than league appearances for his parent clubs Liverpool and Leicester since 2012, which is a pretty remarkable statistic! He’s used to being on the substitutes’ bench, but now he’s one of Euro 2020’s top shotstoppers.
LB LEONARDO SPINAZZOLA, ITALY
NOBODY has been clocked at a faster speed at this tournament than Spinazzola, who was caught doing 21mph down that left-hand side. He hit the ground running in Italy’s opening 3-0 victory over Turkey and hasn’t looked back. CB SIMON KJAER, DENMARK WHAT a captain. We have to commend this 32-yearold centre back for his response to Christian Eriksen collapsing — the way he sprinted to his stricken team-mate to help, had his fellow players create a barrier around him, and then consoled his terrified wife on the touchline. CB TYRONE MINGS, ENGLAND MINGS deputised for Harry Maguire at a time when there was a great deal of scrutiny on Gareth Southgate’s selection of him and he kept two clean sheets alongside John Stones, hardly ever putting a foot wrong. Brought coolness at the back. Southgate knows he can count on Mings.
RB DENZEL DUMFRIES, HOLLAND
THE standout star of Holland’s opening two group games as the energetic right back was involved in all five goals in those encounters. Frank de Boer’s 3-4-1-2 system allows him to fly down that right-hand side. His work-rate is outstanding, and it is little wonder the PSV full back is being linked with Premier League clubs. LM MANUEL LOCATELLI, ITALY HE was the top passer in Serie A last season and this 23-year-old has been coolness personified in Italy’s midfield at Euro 2020. He scored twice against Switzerland and then rested against Wales, because Roberto Mancini knows how vital Locatelli will be in the knockouts. CM GINI WIJNALDUM, HOLLAND CONSIDERING the sort of cheques PSG are used to writing when signing players, they must be giddy at getting the ultimate bargain with Wijnaldum, who’s joining them on a free from Liverpool. The 30-year-old captain is covering great distances, creating chances and scoring goals. FW PATRIK SCHICK, CZECH REPUBLIC THE surprise headline maker of this tournament, following on from that 50-yard wonder-strike against Scotland. That’s the second-greatest goal ever scored at a European Championship in my view — after Marco van Basten’s marvellous volley against the Soviet Union in 1988. We all know
about him now. RM KEVIN DE BRUYNE, BELGIUM HE missed the first match against Russia, was an influential substitute in the second against Denmark and then started the third against Finland. Now those creative juices are flowing and Belgium are flying into the knockout stages. The Belgians must be so thankful that De Bruyne was able to participate after that facial injury.
FW ROMELU LUKAKU, BELGIUM
DE BRUYNE has now assisted Lukaku at four consecutive tournaments — 2014 World Cup, Euro 2016, 2018 World Cup and Euro 2020. I wrote a few weeks ago that Lukaku should be a Golden Boot contender, and that’s the way it’s panning out.
FW CRISTIANO RONALDO, PORTUGAL
I’M not naming him in my team because I admire his Coca-Cola stance — I’m naming him because he’s a record-breaker. Ronaldo is now the top scorer in Euros history after yet another goal-laden tournament.