Sport
Who have been the worst players at Euro 2020 on reputation?
With the Euro 2020 quarter-finals on the horizon, plenty of top players have been sent packing. The international tournament has brought out the very best in some players, surfaced some rising talent and also highlighted those who are massively out of form. So, who have been the five most disappointing players at Euro 2020 so far?
5 worst players at Euro 2020 compared to reputation
Kylian Mbappe (France)
In the biggest shock of the entire tournament so far, favourites France were knocked out by Switzerland in the Round of 16. Les Blues threw away a 3-1 lead with nine minutes to go and couldn’t get back in front in extra time, so penalties it was. Then Kylian Mbappe, rated as potentially the best player on the planet, missed the decisive penalty and sent his team home. However, after his form in the previous three games, no one was too shocked the 22-year-old’s shot was saved by Yann Sommer.
Mbappe failed to score a goal at Euro 2020 and was barely a threat, in honesty you would struggle to make a minute-long compilation of his best moments. His direct, in-behind runs that we saw at the 2018 World Cup were non-existent and, on the few occasions where he could’ve scored, his strikes lacked the conviction and assurance you would expect to see.
There may have been a few reasons why Mbappe wasn’t firing, with Didier Deschamps tactics forcing him to strictly stay wide and thus leaving the forward vulnerable to the opposition doubling up on him. The arrival of Karim Benzema potentially may not have suited his playstyle either, but we will never know.
Without a doubt, the PSG forward has the potential to be one of the best in the world for many seasons to come. His figures since bursting onto the scene are mightily impressive (164 goals in 217 games) and he will only improve. This blip will not be a make or break moment for Mbappe and should bring out the very best in the forward, but he did disappoint and was one of the worst players at Euro 2020 compared to his huge reputation.
Bernardo Silva (Portugal)
When media outlets reported Bernardo Silva wanted to leave Manchester City, many thought manager Pep Guardiola might attempt to persuade the midfielder to remain at the Etihad Stadium. However, after Bernardo’s average performances at Euro 2020, the Spanish boss might consider cashing on his 2017 signing.
The Portuguese midfielder played 243 minutes for his nation but failed to make an impact in any of the games, he was simply a passenger on the bus driven by Cristiano Ronaldo. He didn’t even have a shot at the tournament. Usually, a tricky midfielder capable of drawing fouls, carving chances out of nothing and weaving his way into the box, the real Bernardo Silva was nowhere to be seen.
Given that the former AS Monaco player was preferred to the likes of Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes and Atletico Madrid’s Joao Felix, Portuguese fans are right to question how he managed to be involved for significant parts of every fixture.
Burak Yilmaz (Turkey)
Everyone and their dog jumped on the bandwagon of labelling Turkey as underdogs for Euro 2020 and striker Burak Yilmaz was a central reason for that. The 35-year-old striker scored 16 goals in 23 appearances for Lille as they won the Ligue 1 by a solitary point. However, Yilmaz didn’t hit the back of the net at all in three appearances at the Euros as The Crescent-Stars finished bottom of Group A. Big things were expected of him but he ended up as one of the worst players in the Euro 2020 group stages.
Yilmaz only registered one shot on target in his three appearances, a poor return considering his nation’s group wasn’t the trickiest (Italy, Switzerland, Wales). His hold-up play, which is one of his greatest assets due to his height and strength, was poor and consequently Turkey struggled in the final third as Yilmaz was their lone striker.
One could argue that Yilmaz didn’t massively underperform, but instead the media/football community overhyped the ageing forward. But the former Galatasary man is usually a clinical finisher on the international stage and averages almost a goal every two games, and that added to his recent league form means that the striker should have done better.
Aaron Ramsey (Wales)
After easily beating Turkey 2-0 in their second match at Euro 2020, Wales looked like they could replicate their good form of the 2018 World Cup success. However, they were dumped out in the Round of 16 by Denmark, losing 4-0. One player who didn’t play to his expected standard was Aaron Ramsey, who is usually ever-reliable on the international stage.
Ramsey didn’t look like the player he has previously, his movement going forward was good but then every time he found himself in possession of the ball there was an aura of uncertainty about what he should do. Usually willing to take on his man or cut open a defence, the former Arsenal man often opted for a safe pass or simply dwelt on the ball and was dispossessed. The Juventus midfielder could have won the Golden Boot after the Wales v Turkey match alone having been put through on goal on several occasions, yet he only scored once.
Potentially, the 30-year-old wasn’t too disappointing considering he didn’t set the world alight in the Serie A last season. But often Ramsey is an integral part of the Welsh side, surging forward at every available opportunity but also tracking back and helping out his defence too. That wasn’t the case in this tournament.
Matthijs de Ligt (Netherlands)
Let’s not beat around the bush, Matthijs de Ligt was to blame for the Netherlands being knocked out of Euro 2020 by the Czech Republic and was one of the worst players at the tournament versus his enormous reputation.
The 21-year-old got himself in all sorts of trouble when misjudging a long ball over the top and ended up slipping over and palming the ball away to prevent Czech striker Patrick Schick from going one-on-one with goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg. Having initially been issued a yellow card, referee Sergei Karasev took a look at the pitch-side monitor and worsened his decision.
The foul was avoidable and self-inflicted, and if he had just fallen then who knows, maybe the keeper would’ve saved Schick’s effort, maybe the referee would’ve given a foul, or maybe he’d have fallen into the ball and manage to scramble it away.
Anyhow, from the moment the former Ajax man left the field, the Dutch looked shaky. They moved into a back-four and self-imploded, dropping back as deep as possible and inviting pressure despite having forwards each capable of moments of magic. As a result, they lost 2-0.
Before the tournament-defining match, Netherlands had kept two clean sheets and looked fairly strong going into the knockout stages – being drawn on what appears the weaker side of the table. Therefore, even though an arguably harsh inclusion, de Ligt certainly disappointed and let his team mates down.
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