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With the UEFA Euro 2020 knockout stages set to commence later today, there is awe and anticipation in equal measure. We're at the exciting stage of the tournament but the group stage was exciting as well, so it's a fortunate thing for viewers across the world.
Some of these ties might look straightforward on paper, but a handful of games at Euro 2020 so far haven't quite followed the script. Hungary getting draws against France and Germany is not something most of us would have predicted, indicating that the knockout stages could be hard to call as well.
When I look at the fixtures for the knockout stages of Euro 2020, I don't see too many games being easy to call. It goes without saying that Portugal vs Belgium and England vs Germany could both go either way, but I'm going to continue saying England are going to win Euro 2020 till we get eliminated!
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As for some of the other games, Wales vs Denmark could well go down to penalties, while the Netherlands vs Czech Republic clash is unlikely to be an easy win for the Dutch.
The funny thing about football is, a lot was said about momentum and players getting regular game time under their belt before the tournament. However, Danny Ward, the Wales goalkeeper, has been one of the best shot-stoppers at Euro 2020 so far, adding value to claims that nothing is easy to call when it comes to the grandest stage.
This is when players can make themselves heroes, the occasion hardly ever gets bigger than this. That said, I've looked at all the squads and picked out five players who could be X-factors for their respective sides in the knockout stages of Euro 2020.
#5 Marcel Sabitzer | Austria, RB Leipzig
Marcel Sabitzer is a player I've always spoken about in high regard, he's been a consistent player for RB Leipzig for the past two seasons and has also shown his class in the UEFA Champions League. Austria making it through to the knockout stages of Euro 2020 means he has the chance to prove himself as one of the best players in Europe and he can do just that with a top performance against Italy.
When you talk about momentum and quality, Italy seem like the best team in the competition currently. They won each of their three group games and did so without conceding a single goal, so they will head into the game against Austria as the overwhelming favorites and with a lot of confidence.
That said, the beauty lies in the fact that no one knows how they'll react after conceding a goal. Italy are coming on the back of 10 successive clean sheets in all competitions, but all good runs eventually come to an end. Sabitzer has the quality to undo the Italians, he just needs one big performance to make himself known to the wider audience.
What he offers is a clinical kind of passing for the attackers to feed on and he's also capable of popping one in from distance with a moment of magic. I watched him before the tournament and realized that there's more to his game. He's not just about getting in the groove and making the decisive pass, he is also capable of doing his defensive duties to stifle opposition attacks.
I've watched him for a few years now and some England players even spoke highly of his performances in the UEFA Champions League. He is at the peak of his powers and is the key man for Austria. If they get a positive result against Italy, Sabitzer is likely to be involved.
#4 Federico Chiesa | Italy, Juventus
While Marcel Sabizer is likely to be Austria's danger man, Federico Chiesa is someone Italy could turn to in the knockout stages of Euro 2020. He was used sparingly in the group stages and started the third game after his side secured qualification, so it would appear that there's been a slow introduction of the Juventus man to the tournament.
When he is performing at his best, he's a delight for anyone to watch and an absolute nightmare for defenders to face. The thing I enjoy the most about Chiesa is watching his reactions after a passage of play - there's almost a childlike innocence about him. You can see it in his face that he is eager to do his best.
He's capable of winning games for his side and showed exactly that for Juventus last season, having played a pivotal role in their push for a UEFA Champions League spot. He can do just about anything and is amongst a lot of young players with Italy.
Chiesa has shown flashes of his brilliance so far and is likely to get his chance in the games ahead, but you just have to wonder if Roberto Mancini will make changes to his starting XI that played the first two group stage games at Euro 2020. They are in their groove, so he might be tempted to play the same side and keep them going. Italy are producing game after game, Mancini has the wonderful headache of choosing a starting XI from a talented pool of players and keeping the balance of his side right.
Will Chiesa get a start in the Euro 2020 Round of 16 encounter against Austria? Only time will tell.
Also Read: Paul Merson's predictions for the Euro 2020 Round of 16 fixtures
#3 Jamal Musiala | Germany, Bayern Munich
At Euro 2020, there have already been a few wonderful stories, but Jamal Musiala's journey has been an intriguing subplot of Germany's campaign. The teenage sensation had the chance to play for England and could have come under consideration to be named in Gareth Southgate's squad, but he chose to represent Germany and it has proved to be the right call.
He's absolutely fearless on the ball and has bags of natural talent, he's in that mode as a young player. From an opposition perspective, there will be very little information on him, as he has only just burst onto the scene for Bayern Munich and Germany. If you're preparing against a lesser-known player, it's honestly a bit frightening as you never quite know what to expect from them.
Coming to his performance against Hungary, he was outstanding after coming on as a substitute, as he created the opening for Leon Goretzka's goal with a brilliant piece of play. As a young player, he is really exciting to watch and could play a big role at Euro 2020, depending on how far Germany go in the competition.
England will have long conversations about him, with players like Jude Bellingham and Jadon Sancho aware of what he's capable of as they are currently plying their trades in the Bundesliga. That is the beauty of having players across different leagues in a national team set-up, so England need to be up to speed with what he could potentially do. Musiala is a dangerous player who could cause some serious damage, the fact that Joachim Low threw him on as a substitute when he needed a result against Hungary shows he trusts him.
We know a lot about the rest of the German side, but Musiala could well be their X-factor at the business end of Euro 2020.
#2 Antoine Griezmann | France, Barcelona
Antoine Griezmann needs no introduction. He is a World Cup winner with France and has performed admirably so far, but you just get the feeling that he's saving his best for the knockout stages of Euro 2020. He has played well within himself, but I'm hoping to see a different Griezmann - someone who can take the game by the scruff of the neck with a match-winning pass or score a stunner from 25 yards out.
He's got so much talent, I've loved watching him play at Euro 2020. He combines really well in attack with Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann and also helps out defensively, indicating that he's one of the biggest team players around despite his superstar status.
He has a superior goal per game ratio than Mbappe for France and has been a key player for Didier Deschamps over the years, having played a pivotal role in their FIFA World Cup triumph in 2018 and also winning the Player of the Tournament award at Euro 2016.
Griezmann doesn't feel the need to be France's best player, he is more than happy to be a team player and let the other players get the plaudits. He's been good so far, but there's a bit more to come from him and France. They've had a sense of vulnerability about them, but I think they will take their game up a notch in the knockout stages of Euro 2020.
#1 Phil Foden | England, Manchester City
Phil Foden is another player who could hit new heights in the knockout stages of Euro 2020. I've watched him play a lot over the past 12 months and this young man is a magnificent player. When he's in his happy place, he plays football like he's having a kickaround with his mates on a five-a-side pitch!
I remember his performance against Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinal last season. In the second half, he picked up the ball, rolled two PSG midfielders and calmly passed the ball out wide - that moment changed my perception of him. He was a different player from that moment, he needed that to give him the confidence. I'm waiting for him to have that moment at Euro 2020 and if that happens, my confidence in England winning the tournament gets tripled.
Similarly, he came on as a second-half substitute against West Ham United in the Premier League and changed the game for Manchester City. He turned the game on its head and that was another important moment in his career, in my opinion. As I mentioned about Federico Chiesa earlier, he's got that childlike innocence about him. Some of the more experienced players tend to show rehearsed reactions in adverse situations, but the younger ones like Foden can't help but express their feelings candidly.
He is a fantastic talent coming on the back of his best-ever season as a professional footballer, so he could play a big role for England in the games ahead at Euro 2020.
Also Read: Jim Beglin column - 5 young players who could become household names after Euro 2020
