The Stand Out Performers Of Euro 2016
NDTV football expert and AIFF Technical Director Scott O'Donnell's pick of the Top 5 players in Euro 2016 so far
1. Dimitri Payet
France's Dimitri Payet might not be a global superstar, but he has been the top performer at Euro 2016. The 29 year old attacking midfielder sounded his battle cry in the hosts' opening match with a stunning 25 yard goal into the top corner of the Romanian goal. His goal vs Albania was also a special one. But though the West Ham player has 2 goals to his name, Payet's real strength has been his ability to probe and create chances. Payet is the creative play-maker that France so desperately needed.
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2. Manuel Neuer
German goal-keeper and perhaps the best shot-stopper in the world currently, 30 year old Manuel Neuer is a virtual wall in front of goal. It's no surprise really that he leads the clean-sheets tally at Euro 2016 with 4. That effectively means, Germany are the only team who have not conceded a single goal in the tournament so far. This in fact is the first time Germany has managed to achieve the feat of not conceding a goal in 4 straight matches of a major tournament since the 1978 World Cup in Argentina. Another clean sheet in the quarter-final clash vs Italy will make the stand-in German captain the first German goal-keeper ever to not concede a goal in 5 straight games of an international tournament.
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3. Gareth Bale
The bronze medallist on this list is Gareth Bale. The Welsh superstar is one of the joint highest goal scorers of Euro 2016, with 3 goals. Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino in fact has called the 26 year old former Spurs striker the best player of Euro 2016. Wales, playing their first international tournament since the 1958 World Cup have progressed to the quarters thanks largely to their captain's exploits.
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4. Leonardo Bonucci
Italy's Leornado Bonucci is another example of a valuable player who flies under the radar. The 29 year old defender who has had 1 assist so far in the competition has been one of the Azzuri's stand-out stars in their back 3, that makes the Italian defence rock solid. A reason that has helped Gianluigi Buffon keep 3 clean-sheets in the tournament. Bonucci can also boast of one of the stand out moments of the tournament, a 60 yard long ball over the top of the Belgium defence for Emanuele Giaccherini to score.
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5. Paul Pogba
At Number 5 is French central midfielder Paul Pogba. The 23 year old has been one of the stand-out players of Euro 2016, despite not scoring a single goal. After a great opening match, he was benched in the match vs Albania as part of perhaps a rotation policy. Pogba though returned with a vengeance to help France top Group A. Hailed by French manager Didier Deschamps as the heart and soul of France's strong display in the group stage, Pogba has shown just why clubs like Manchester United and Real Madrid are reportedly pursuing him.