On Tuesday night (June 18), Portugal claimed a dramatic 2-1 victory over Czechia in the final game of the first Matchday of the 2024 European Championship (EURO 2024). In the first 12 games of the continental fiesta, we saw some memorable performances from world-class individuals. Their stellar displays fired their teams to crucial wins and draws, taking them closer to the first knockout stage of the competition — the Round of 16.
Before Croatia and Albania kick off Matchday 2 on Wednesday, let us quickly check out the players who stood out on Matchday 1. Here are the top five players who impressed the most on the first five days of this month-long fiesta:
#5 Christian Eriksen – Denmark
Christian Eriksen Scored Denmark’s Only Goal Against Slovenia
Three years back, Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest during the first half of the EURO 2020 clash against Finland. His teammates surrounded him, guarding him from cameras, as the medical staff brought him back to life. The last three years have been a story of grit, determination, and healing. And on Sunday (June 16), the story reached its heartwarming climax, as Eriksen not only featured for his country against Slovenia but also delivered a Man of the Match performance.
The Manchester United midfielder found the back of the net in the 17th minute, applying a clinical finish to put away Jonas Wind’s delivery from close range. Eriksen also created a game-high seven chances, delivered seven accurate crosses, made seven recoveries, and won four ground duels on Matchday 1.
The Danes unfortunately could not hold on to their lead, as Erik Janza equalized for Slovenia in the final quarter of the game.
#4 Jude Bellingham – England
Bellingham Scored England’s Only Goal Against Serbia
England have faced a lot of criticism for not living up to expectations in their UEFA EURO 2024 opener against Serbia on Sunday (June 16). Things would have been a lot direr had Jude Bellingham not popped up with…
Source link : https://sportslens.com/news/uefa-euro-2024-matchday-1-best-players/
Author : Sushan Chakraborty
Publish date : 2024-06-19 07:47:15
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