The Round of 16 of the 2024 European Championship (EURO 2024) is officially in the history books. The round started with reigning champions Italy taking on the in-form Switzerland. Everyone expected the Swiss to give the Azzurri a tough fight, but very few would have foreseen a 2-0 victory for Murat Yakin’s side. After the massive upset, Germany restored normalcy, claiming a routine 2-0 victory over Denmark.
The following Matchday, England beat Slovakia 2-1 in extra time, with Jude Bellingham grabbing headlines with a stunning overhead kick. Spain joined England in the EURO 2024 quarter-finals, bagging an emphatic 4-1 victory over Georgia.
The highly-anticipated bout between France and Belgium headlined Matchday 3, but the clash did not live up to expectations. An own goal from Jan Vertonghen allowed France to beat Belgium 1-0 and qualify for the last 8. Later that night, Portugal survived by the skin of their teeth, beating Slovenia 3-0 on penalties after playing out a drab goalless draw in 120 minutes.
Lastly, on Matchday 4, we got two entertaining clashes, with Romania battling the Netherlands and Austria taking on Turkiye. The Dutch produced a memorable performance, claiming a 3-0 victory, whereas Turkiye secured an impressive 2-1 win over Austria.
Extending our trend of honoring the most remarkable players of each round, we will take a look at the ones who impressed the most in the EURO 2024 Round of 16. Continue reading to check out the five players who stood out in pre-quarters:
#5 Diogo Costa – Portugal
Diogo Costa Saved Portugal Against Slovenia
On a night Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, and Bernando Silva failed to deliver, Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa held the fort, making stunning saves to carry his team to the 2024 quarter-finals. Costa had very little to do over 90 minutes, as Slovenia were busy defending deep inside their box. Despite being inactive for prolonged periods, the Porto keeper did not lose his reflexes, making…
Source link : https://sportslens.com/news/best-players-last-16-euro-2024/
Author : Sushan Chakraborty
Publish date : 2024-07-03 07:55:03
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