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Euro 2020 is shaping up to be one of the best international tournaments we have seen in recent times. The Round of 16 was replete with exhilarating encounters and the knockout stage truly delivered. Teams have been unwilling to give up and games have gone right down to the wire.
Several big teams have been slayed already at Euro 2020
Portugal, France, Netherlands and Germany, who were all tipped to make it further, were eliminated in the Round of 16. The stage was set for heroes to be made and while a few familiar ones disappointed, quite a few unlikely individuals have been able to rise to the challenge.
We have also seen some incredible individual performances so far at Euro 2020. Do-or-die situations tend to bring out the best and worst in players and we're fortunate to have seen more of the former in the past week.
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Without further ado, let's take a look at the best players from Euro 2020 Round of 16.
#5 Kasper Dolberg (Denmark)
Christian Eriksen's absence was expected to greatly hamper Denmark's chances at Euro 2020. But the Danes are on a mission and have produced some inspiring performances so far. They thrashed Wales 4-0 in the opening fixture of the Round of 16.
They also found an unlikely hero in Kasper Dolberg who was brought in to replace the injured Yussuf Poulsen. Prior to the game against Wales, Dolberg had only played 30 minutes against Russia after coming off the bench.
The 23-year-old took the opportunity with both hands and scored two goals to help Denmark establish their dominance over Wales. His first goal was a fierce shot from outside the box. He was then quick to latch on Neco Williams' mistake and dispatch it for the second.
It is the performance of a lifetime as far as the 23-year-old Nice forward is concerned. His introduction to the fray facilitated a lot more fluidity for Denmark in the final third. Dolberg is definitely one of the stars of the Round of 16.
#4 Thorgan Hazard (Belgium)
Belgium snuffed out Portugal's hopes of retaining their European championship. It was a tightly contested affair that was eventually decided on fine margins. Belgium progressed to the quarter-finals thanks to an outrageous long-ranger from Thorgan Hazard.
Hazard worked tirelessly for Belgium, providing width and always progressive in possession. He was a live-wire from the beginning and despite all the attacking contributions he made, he was always available to track back and dispense his defensive duties as well.
His scorcher from 25-yards out was a thing of beauty and it proved to be the difference between the two sides in the Euro 2020 Round of 16 game.
#3 Raheem Sterling (England)
When England were drawn against Germany in the Round of 16, cynics were quick to write the Three Lions off. But in all fairness, they have produced largely lackluster performances, while Germany seemed to be slowly hitting their stride.
Raheem Sterling was among the players who were handed a heavy load of criticism in the run-in to Euro 2020 group stage matches. But it was Sterling who was England's most consistent threat against the Germans. He was excellent with the ball at his feet and carved out several openings over the course of the game.
He tested Neuer from range early in the first half. The Manchester City attacker then made a driving run into the area and nearly set up Kane for England's opener right before the half-time whistle. He carried that same form into the second half and scored a well deserved goal from a lovely Luke Shaw cross to get Wembley buzzing.
#2 Paul Pogba (France)
Paul Pogba has time and again reminded us why he is truly world-class. Even though France succumbed in the penalty shootout against Switzerland, they still produced an exciting performance and Pogba was at the centre of it.
It was a mesmerizing performance from the Frenchman. It was a night where he showcased his passing range in all its glory and also scored one of the goals of the tournament. His curler from outside the box was as majestic as they come and it put France 3-1 up.
At that point, it seemed like they had put the game to bed. But Pogba's weaknesses also made an untimely appearance. He was too casual in possession and gave the ball away in the build-up to Switzerland's equalizer.
But Pogba pulled off plenty of game-changing passes on the night and he was easily the most outstanding player on the pitch.
#1 Granit Xhaka (Switzerland)
The only reason why an in-form Paul Pogba and a relentless N'Golo Kante weren't able to impose themselves fully and dominate the game was because of Granit Xhaka. The Swiss captain was everywhere and was faultless for the most part.
The Arsenal midfielder produced a man-of-the-match performance against arguably the strongest national side on the planet. The most important thing is that Xhaka led from the front and gave and rallied his troops despite going 3-1 down in the 75th minute.
Xhaka provided the assist for Gavranovic's equalizer for Switzerland in the 90th minuteHe also gave a rousing speech before extra-time and it was an all-in-all heroic display from Xhaka.
