So here we are with only three more matches to go in UEFA Euro 2016. The quarter-finals are done and dusted and we have our four semi-finalists. Portugal will take on Wales while Germany take on hosts France.
Two of the quarter-final matches were evenly matched until the last kick of the game whereas the other two were largely one-sided. While Wales thoroughly outplayed Belgium to win 3-1 and Iceland were brought back down to earth with a 5-2 thrashing at the hands of France, Germany and Portugal made it through only after a penalty shootout.
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Over the four matches, a number of individual performances stood out. Some players led their teams through while others fell by the wayside in spite of putting in memorable performances on the pitch.
We take a look at these players who topped various stats in the quarter-finals.
Most Key Passes: Aaron Ramsey – 6
Arsene Wenger will be pleased as punch to see Arsenal players performing well at the Euros. Olivier Giroud has three goals, Ozil has also managed to get on the scoresheet even if playmaking is his primary duty.
But nothing will please him more than Aaron Ramsey’s form. He is one of the British players he has developed since he was a teenager and Wales have benefited from his presence on the pitch.
While Gareth Bale may get all the plaudits, Ramsey has been at the core of the Welsh midfield. After impressing in the group stages with a goal and assists, he has continued in that rich vein of form in the knockout stages. Against a resurgent Belgium, Ramsey created six chances – two of which were converted into assists.
Ramsey has been involved in five goals at the Euro (the same as Giroud) with four assists (joint top with Eden Hazard). Only Antoine Griezmann has been involved in more goals. Unfortunately, a second yellow card (for a handball) will see him miss the semi-final.
Most Dribbles: Renato Sanches – 7
Portugal’s hero of the game was arguably young Renato Sanches. The 18-year-old Bayern Munich-bound midfielder was running things for the Seleccao in the middle of the park and was duly rewarded with a goal.
In all, Sanches attempted to dribble past his opponents 13 times in the game and he was successful seven times. His goal also saw him beat a player before a neat one-two with Nani allowed him to take a shot and score via a deflection.
His future is bright and he will be a handful for Bundesliga teams next season.
Most Shots: Cristiano Ronaldo – 5
Portugal are yet to win a match in 90 minutes. Three draws saw them sneak through to the Round of 16 as one of the better third-placed teams thanks to the tournament’s new format. A win against Croatia came thanks to a goal in the 117th minute while Poland were dispatched in the quarter-finals in a penalty shootout.
Their captain has not exactly been as inspirational as one would expect from a proven goalscorer. Ronaldo looks like a pale shadow of his former self – one who could at least find the target from free-kicks rather than smacking it into the wall. And even if there were shots on target, they were either too weak or unnecessary with teammates in better positions.
Against Poland, Ronaldo took five shots. No other player from any team took as many shots in 90 minutes in the quarter-finals.
Most Passes: Mats Hummels – 109
Germany vs Italy was rightly labeled a game for the tactical nerds as Joachim Low changed his formation to negate Italy’s 3-5-2. The result? A game where both sides canceled each other out for the majority of the 120 minutes.
The midfield was stifled and the forwards were starved of service. This saw the centre-backs more involved in circulating the ball while looking for any chinks in the armour to exploit. Hence, it comes as no surprise to see Mats Hummels top the passing charts instead of the usual suspects such as Toni Kroos or Mesut Ozil.
With injuries threatening to weaken Die Mannschaft, Low has a bigger headache with Hummels suspended for the semi-final after picking up a second yellow card.
Most Saves: Thibaut Courtois – 4
Belgium’s roller-coaster of a tournament came to an end in an anti-climax as Wales comfortably beat them 3-1 to progress to the semis. Marc Wilmots’ side seemed to have put their defeat to Italy behind them but ultimately failed to prove that this ‘golden generation’ were still not up to scratch.
Wales could easily have scored more if not for Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. The Dragons had as many as 15 shots and his four saves ensured Belgium were not thoroughly humiliated on the big stage.
Most Tackles: Jason Denayer – 4
Without the services of the suspended Thomas Vermaelen and the injured Jan Vertonghen, who had torn his ankle ligaments, Wilmots turned to Denayer to partner Toby Alderweireld in defence. Jordan Lukaku was also forced into the lineup and an all-new back-line eventually proved to be their undoing.
Denayer was thrown into the firepit and was clearly not cut out for such a big game yet. However, he did make four successful tackles – winning possession three times. Three of those tackles saw him have to cover for Lukaku on the left.
Stats courtesy of Opta and WhoScored
