AND then there were four.
Just three fixtures remain in Dream Team Euros with the semi-final between Spain and France set to take place on Tuesday night before England face Netherlands the following evening.
Here we’ve assembled a combined XI made up of players from the four trophy hopefuls based solely on total Dream Team Euros points.
GOALKEEPER: Mike Maignan (£4.5m)
There’s been a lot of talk about how France are yet to score a goal from open play at this tournament but it’s also true that they’re yet to concede a goal from open play.
Robert Lewandowski’s retaken penalty in Matchday 3 remains the only time Maignan has been forced to pick the ball out of his net.
The Milan goalkeeper’s tally of four clean sheets forms the bedrock of his 39-point total – he’s 14 points clear of Jordan PIckford (£4m).
And he’s good value for his lead having made 16 saves – only Georgia’s Giorgi Mamardashvili ranks above him in the metric among all keepers at Euro 2024.
DEFENDERS: Theo Hernandez (£5m), Jules Kounde (£4m), Dayot Upamecano (£4m), William Saliba (£4.5m)
Needless to say, Les Bleus’ clean sheets have also resulted in plentiful returns for the first-choice back four.
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Hernandez tops the pile (45 pts) having also earned nine bonus points but it’s Kounde (38 pts) who has made the most tackles and created the most big chances among France’s defenders.
Prior to the tournament, it seemed as if Ibrahima Konate (£4m) would partner Upamecano (33 pts) at the heart of defence as Didier Deschamps has not always been the biggest fan of William Saliba (31 pts) but the Arsenal favourite has justified his selection with some brilliantly composed displays.
France defenders have ruled the roost in Germany but will gaffers back them to keep out a free-flowing Spain side in the first semi-final?
MIDFIELDERS: Fabian Ruiz (£3.5m), Dani Olmo (£4m), Jude Bellingham (£6m), Lamine Yamal (£4m)
Speaking of La Roja, three of their midfield talents make this team’s quartet.
Ruiz is a genuine contender for Player of the Tournament having scored two goals and provided two assists in four outings – an output that has earned him 40 points.
Incredibly, Olmo has racked up 38 points despite being given just 265 minutes of playing time, at an average of just 53 minutes per Matchday.
The RB Leipzig playmaker was named as a substitute against Germany in the blockbuster quarter-final but replaced the injured Pedri (£4m) early on and ended up playing a decisive hand.
The 26-year-old scored one goal, assisted the winner, and earned the maximum of five bonus points for a whopping 19-point haul.
Yamal completes the Spanish trio having mustered 31 points.
The teenage sensation has created more big chances (5) than anyone else and he’s level with Xavi Simons (£4m) on three assists.
All that’s missing from the young winger’s tournament is a goal – the semi-final would be a great time for him to find the net from Luis de la Fuente’s perspective.
Bellingham is England’s only representative in this XI as he’s amassed 37 points via two crucial goals and nine bonus points.
The Real Madrid superstar hasn’t been at his very best this summer but he’s provided a couple of magic moment when needed – he currently features in 64.6% of teams.
STRIKERS: Cody Gakpo (£4m), Kylian Mbappe (£7.5m)
Netherlands only have one representative here as well but he’s the outright top performer in all of Dream Team Euros.
Gakpo thought he had scored his fourth goal of the tournament against Turkey on Saturday but replays showed it was an own goal; even so the Liverpool forward is the only man to have passed the half-century mark with 52 points.
He ranks in the top three for both shots on target and big chances created, not to mention the fact he’s in a league of his own among strikers in terms of tackles.
Gakpo is joined by Mbappe, who has notched 36 points despite by hampered by his broken nose.
France’s No10 has scored just once, a penalty against Poland, but he’s ticked over with bonus points (an unmatched tally of 12), an assist, and a barrage of shots on target for a grand total of 36 points.
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Will the 25-year-old superstar find another gear against Spain on Tuesday night?
Bring on the semi-finals!
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
