The Best Bundesliga XI at the Euros
With the Euros finishing on Sunday, the Bundesliga finished as the league with the most goals scored at the tournament with 29 goals by players from Germany's top flight. Here is the best XI from the Bundesliga stars at the Euros.
GK - Yann Sommer, Switzerland (Borussia Mönchengladbach)
One of the Bundesliga's best shot-stoppers once again delivered for his country. Yann Sommer was a huge reason for Switzerland's progression to the quarter-finals, making vital saves in all matches to keep Switzerland in the tournament and was the hero in the biggest shock of the round of 16 when Switzerland knocked out World Champions France on penalties. The Gladbach keeper made 21 saves during the tournament and was easily the best goalkeeper from the Bundesliga at the Euros.
🇨🇭 A tournament to remember for Sommer & Switzerland. They can be immensely proud 👏👏👏#EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/tuuUjqkiSN
— UEFA EURO 2020 (@EURO2020) July 2, 2021
CB - Manuel Akanji, Switzerland (Borussia Dortmund)
The first center-back in this back 3 is another member of the Switzerland squad in Borussia Dortmund center-back Manuel Akanji. One of the walls in the Swiss defence protecting their goal so Sommer didn't have to do as much on the journey to the quarter-finals. Akanji played the full 90 in all 5 matches for the Swiss with a brilliant 92% pass accuracy and 10 key tackles for his nation.
CB - Willi Orban, Hungary (RB Leipzig)
Maybe a surprise entry but considering how surprisingly competitive Hungary were during these championships, Willi Orban's name in this XI should not be a surprise. While the scoreline may not do Hungary justice, the ones who watched the 3-0 defeat vs Portugal will know the qualities that Bundesliga and RB Leipzig fans in particular are accustomed to. Marshaling the backline with his Leipzig teammate Peter Gulacsi in goal, Orban and co. held Portugal at bay until the last 10 minutes when their rearguard action was finally breached. Draws vs the 2 previous world champions was brilliant from a Hungarian point of view, and conceding only 3 times in those 2 games as well only strengthened Orban's case to get into this Bundesliga XI.
CB - Mats Hummels, Germany (Borussia Dortmund)
Clutching at straws with this entry but on a whole, Bundesliga center-backs were not all that impressive during the tournament. Mats Hummels gets his place in the side though he himself was not too impressive. He put in some good tackles to not make Germany's campaign a disaster. A huge tackle on a goalward Kylian Mbappe that he had to get right was inch-perfect and reminded the world what the German national team was missing when he was excluded from selection for Die Mannschaft. Hummels developed a reputation for the 'quarterback' style of play from defence and he showcased those cross-field ball abilities again boasting a 93% pass accuracy from 314 passes completed including an assist for himself vs Hungary.
RWB - Steven Zuber, Switzerland (Eintracht Frankfurt)
He is playing out of position somewhat after featuring mainly on the left-hand side for Switzerland but it was impossible to leave out the player with the most assists in the entire tournament, and that man was Eintracht Frankfurt's, Steven Zuber. Playing in the Swiss system as the left-wing back, Zuber supplied 4 assists for his Swiss teammates on their way to the quarter-finals and he becomes the 3rd and final member of that Switzerland team to feature in this XI. Zuber had a pass accuracy of 82% and accumulating an average of 57 touches per game in the 4 out of 5 games he played in. 35 passes per 90 minutes meant that most of the Swiss attacking threat came down that left side and Zuber was critical in all that Switzerland did.
CM - Vladimir Darida, Czech Republic (Hertha BSC)
Another surprise story of the Euros was the Czech Republic who remarkably made it to the quarter-finals alongside Switzerland and they picked up a big scalp on the way beating the Netherlands 2-0 in Budapest. One of the key cogs in the midfield machine for the Czechs was their captain Vladimir Darida. The Hertha BSC midfield metronome started the first 2 games before picking up an injury which limited him to substitute appearances but he put himself about in those games having a pass accuracy of 81% from 115 passes as well as winning 57% of the 28 duels he was involved in. No goals scored or assists created but that wasn't his job in all fairness, he performed well when he was in the side for the Czechs who shocked many with their performance at EURO 2020.
CM - Thomas Delaney, Denmark (Borussia Dortmund)
Everyone's adopted 2nd team were brilliant after overcoming the traumatic circumstances of matchday 1 in Copenhagen, reaching the semi-finals off of a wave of continent-wide support. The man who orchestrated the human wall while medics attended to Christian Eriksen was immense throughout the tournament for the Danes. Thomas Delaney was the linchpin in the Danish midfield creating an anchor with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and both were very solid for their nation's run to an eventual semi-final exit at the hands of the runners-up England. He ran the show from midfield with a pass accuracy of 79% as well as winning 62% of his tackles. Delany also contested 54 duels and won out 52% of the time as well as winning 77% of his aerial duels. Delaney's midfield dominance got a reward when he netted the opener in Denmark's 2-1 quarter-final win over the Czech Republic and capped off a brilliant tournament for both himself and Denmark.
🇩🇰 Thomas Delaney = Star of the Match 🥇
— UEFA EURO 2020 (@EURO2020) July 3, 2021
🤔 Did you predict that?@Heineken | #EUROSOTM | #EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/0HuBxgwckO
LWB - Thorgan Hazard, Belgium (Borussia Dortmund)
One of the 3 'BVBelgians' that were called up from Die Schwarzgelben by Roberto Martinez, Thorgan Hazard had a great tournament and was definitely the best Belgian from the Bundesliga at the Euros. Averaging a rating of 7.38 in the games he played, Hazard was vital in the Belgians progress to the quarter-finals scoring twice after coming in for the injured Timothy Castagne at left wing-back. Hazard scored an absolutely wonderful goal, the only goal, in Belgium's 1-0 round of 16 victory over Portugal and performed admirably for Roberto Martinez in the left wing-back role.
😮 THAT Thorgan Hazard strike = Goal of the Round 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥?@GazpromFootball | #EUROGOTR | #EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/GUCkcGg7mk
— UEFA EURO 2020 (@EURO2020) June 27, 2021
RW - Dani Olmo, Spain (RB Leipzig)
A tournament performance that went under the radar came from RB Leipzig's Dani Olmo, who helped Spain to a semi-final losing out to eventual champions Italy. Olmo's semi-final performance vs the Italians was majestic and it was only ruined by his penalty which he skied in the shoot-out defeat. Olmo picked up 3 assists in the tournament as Spain qualified as runners up from group E and then proceeding to knock out Croatia in extra time and Switzerland on penalties. The Leipzig attacking midfielder played across the front line for Spain both from the start and off the bench in the 5 matches he featured in, bagging the aforementioned 3 assists and being the focal point of Spain's creative output with an average of 70 touches per 90 minutes.
🇪🇸 Dani Olmo 🔥#EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/WRNViHJqF8
— UEFA EURO 2020 (@EURO2020) July 6, 2021
ST - Patrik Schick, Czech Republic (Bayer Leverkusen)
What a tournament the Bayer Leverkusen striker has had! Starting at Hampden Park vs Scotland where he scored the official UEFA EURO 2020 Goal of the Tournament and he has not stopped. Patrik Schick was immense for the Czech Republic as they went on a fairy-tale run to the quarter-finals of EURO 2020, scoring 5 goals and joining an elite club of players to score 5 goals at a single European Championships. Tied with Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo at the top of the goalscorers list, it was impossible to leave out Schick, even for Bayern Munich and Poland striker Robert Lewandowski. Since we mentioned the goal, it would do no harm to watch it again.
🇨🇿🙌 After almost 800k votes, Patrik Schick's long-range stunner vs Scotland is UEFA EURO 2020 Goal of the Tournament! ⚽️💥#EUROGOTT @GazpromFootball #EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/qBENMPj25b
— UEFA EURO 2020 (@EURO2020) July 14, 2021
LW - Emil Forsberg, Sweden (RB Leipzig)
And finally to round out the Bundesliga at the Euros XI, Sweden and RB Leipzig creative genius Emil Forsberg gets into the side on the left wing. Forsberg was simply brilliant for Sweden in their campaign that ended at the round of 16 stage following heartbreak vs Ukraine, netting 4 times and top-scoring for Sweden at these championships. 4 goals in an international tournament is impressive let alone doing it from the left wing in Sweden's 4-4-2 system. While he didn't lay on any assists, if you were watching Sweden games you'd know why Forsberg is such a big talent for the Swedes. Off the ball he was brilliant, making the moves to allow other players to flourish and getting himself into good areas to be at the heart of Sweden's attacking ventures.