The third and final group stage Matchday of the 2024 European Championship (EURO 2024) delivered non-stop, breakneck action and a bucketload of drama.
Italy scored right at the death against Group B rivals Croatia, drawing 1-1 and knocking Luka Modric and Co. out of the competition. Austria stunningly topped Group D ahead of France after beating the Netherlands 3-2 in their final match. Slovakia, Romania, Belgium, and Ukraine all finished with four points in Group E. But Ukraine, due to their inferior goal difference to Slovakia (3rd), Belgium (2nd), and Romania (1st), crashed out of the tournament.
Lastly, there were Georgia, who picked up a stunning 2-0 victory over Portugal on Matchday 3 to finish third in Group F (4 points) and progress as the second-best-ranked third-placed team.
As we await Round of 16 action to commence on Saturday (June 29), let us take a quick look at the standout performers from the last round. Here are the top five players who impressed on Matchday 3.
#5 Toni Kroos – Germany
Toni Kroos Came Out Of Retirement To Play In EURO 2024
Toni Kroos came out of international retirement for one last dance at EURO 2024. And so far, the gamble is paying off spectacularly. The Real Madrid icon delivered top-drawer performances on the first two Matchdays as well, but his best came in the 1-1 draw with Switzerland on Matchday 3.
The 34-year-old dictated the tempo of the game from the middle of the pitch, passing the ball around with grace and effortlessly switching play to the least-guarded areas. Over the 90 minutes, Kroos completed a whopping 99 passes, attaining 93% passing accuracy. He also created four chances, played 14 passes into the final third, delivered four accurate long balls, and won five of six ground duels.
#4 Kylian Mbappe – France
Kylian Mbappe Scored France’s Only Goal Against Poland
After missing France’s goalless draw with the Netherlands on Matchday 2 due to his broken nose, Kylian Mbappe returned to action…
Source link : https://sportslens.com/news/uefa-euro-2024-matchday-3-standouts/
Author : Sushan Chakraborty
Publish date : 2024-06-27 06:41:49
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