The group stage of the Euro 2022 concludes with eight qualified teams now bracing for the quarterfinals ahead. Renowned stars, as well as emerging talents, produced their best to lift their respective nation at this stage of the tournament in the three decisive games for them so far.
The group stages have been a spectacle, to say the least with every player doing everything with their strength to derive the best result for their nation making this Euro a remembrance of their career.
While the teams were a unit to achieve their goals, some individual stars stood out to shoulder the responsibility at the end of the day. Most of them carried their club form into the international while the rest gained new energy just by donning the national shirt. Their impact on the group stage was massive. Although everyone’s contributions were crucial, eleven players just edge it over the rest with their performances to hypothetically make a team of the round. Hosts England were so precise in their task that it could have been filled with their entire team so four of them makes it to the team. Equally impressive Germany have two representatives. Coming second in their group, Spain have four players in the team while Sweden and Switzerland both have one. All of them played a pivotal part in their nation’s qualification to the quarterfinals. Emphasis has been given to players who have at least played or completed all of the matches in the group stages.
Goalkeepers: Merle Frohms (Germany)
The goalkeepers had a difficult time in the Euro 2022 facing some of the best attacks in the tournament as the goals flowed in plenty in the group stages. Only two no. 1 for their nation, Mary Earps of England and Merle Frohms of Germany didn’t concede a goal in the tournament so far. Both keepers had to do very little in keeping the clean sheets intact aided by their well-guarded defence but Frohms had to pull out some important saves on the way to maintain Germany’s discipline at the back. Her brilliant reaction save from Mariona Caldentey’s shot against Spain was a highlight of the Eintracht Frankfurt shot stopper’s resilience. Frohms prevented at least two goals (xG conceded - 2.06) for Germany according to stats by Opta and it puts her slightly above Earps (xG conceded - 1.13) for the goalkeeper of the group stages.
Defenders: Lucy Bronze (England), Irene Paredes (Spain), Mapi Leon (Spain), Rachel Daly (England)
Three Spanish players are named in the back four. Although they conceded three goals, the possession-based football starts with the influential center-half pairing of Irene Paredes and Mapi Leon combining for three goals for their side in the 4-1 win against Finland in the first game itself. Aside from two assists in that game, Leon played the most accurate passes per 90 (95.3 with a success rate of 90.8 %) ahead of second-best England’s Leah Williamson (87.0). The Lionesses defender’s partnership with Millie Bright was a close call while Germany’s Marina Hegering could have easily made the cut. Two English players flank the team having produced outstanding services from their role.
Midfielders: Aitina Bonmati (Spain), Fran Kirby (England), Kosovare Asllani (Sweden)
The midfielders have been a class act in the tournament taking extra work to keep the balance of the attack and the defence in the tournament. Going solely by productivity, three attacking midfielders make the rank but the defensive midfielders have also showed their strength and are unlikely not to be here. The only player to have received two player of the match awards, Aitana Bonmati ruled the midfield for Spain with a goal to her name and completed 192 passes with a success rate of 87.3%. Chelsea’s Fran Kirby kept England on the front foot with three assists and a goal to her name, the same tally as Kosovare Asllani who mostly played as a forward for Sweden in the group stages. Asllani’s dribbles were a treat to watch with a success rate of 82% while Kirby maintained a pass success rate of 86% with more success on shots on target.
Forwards: Beth Mead (England), Alexandra Popp (Germany), Ramona Bachmann (Switzerland)
Arsenal’s Beth Mead not only scored a tournament-best of 5 goals so far along with 2 assists for England but she also became one of the two players to score in every group stage game in Euro history. The other being Germany’s Alexandra Popp who finally managed to score in a Euro final after missing the last two editions through injuries. Both outscored their expected goals handsomely. Popp managed more than her 1.75 xG rate said while Mead went above every expectation by beating her xG rate of 2.92. Joining them is Ramona Bachmann who may have not enjoyed so much goal-mouth action from her side but almost put Switzerland to the doorstep of the quarterfinals. She became the true captain for her side and gave the inspiration to come back from behind in the game against Portugal and Sweden with her assists and a goal.
