West Ham’s Dimitri Payet tops the official UEFA player Barometer for Euro 2016 and makes the dream team.
The SOCAR Player Barometer has been updated live with every performance of the opening set of matches, and we have selected a first dream XI based on its findings.
The XI was picked from the top players in each position, though in midfield the second-best defensive midfielder Eric Dier (9th overall) was chosen ahead of the top winger Antonio Candreva (17th). Sergio Ramos (8th) and Luka Modrić (10th) are the only top ten players to miss out, thus allowing the selection of a goalkeeper and two full-backs.
Current top players in each position
Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer (GER) 12th
Full-back: Juanfran (ESP) 18th
Centre-back: Shkodran Mustafi (GER) 3rd
Defensive midfielder: N’Golo Kanté (FRA) 7th
Central midfielder: Toni Kroos (GER) 2nd
Attacking midfielder: Dmitri Payet (FRA) 1st
Winger: Antonio Candreva (ITA) 17th
Forward: Cristiano Ronaldo (POR) 4th
All eyes will be on Payet again tonight as France face Albania at 8pm. Unsurprisingly, Payet is in the starting line-up for France.
Payet Fact: Dimitri created eight chances against the Romanians – only three players had created more in a Euros game since 1980 (Ozil, 9 v Greece in 2012, McAllister, 10 v Germany in 1992 and Sneijder, 10 v Denmark in 2012).
Payet was again the best player on the pitch. His passing and crossing was a joy to watch. Plus to cap it off he scores yet another wonderful goal.
Stunning wife/girlfriend as well. Lucky so and so.
Once again I am left saying out loud, wow! We’ve Got Payet!
He was quality again tonight & yeah very tasty wife/gf lol.I think I am going to be sick of reading about Slavs amazing punditry by the end of the tournament though.Too much pant filling about it 😉
Yep most of Dimi’s good work tonight as in the first match came to nothing because of poor finishing he could easilly have had 4 assists for high quality balls he put into the box, at least he got a goal for all that work, look forward to seeing more of him in the next match.
I’m delighted for Dimitri but his success makes me very nervous. The better he plays in this tournament the more he catches the ‘big guns’ eyes
On another note, I would suggest Slav takes a good look at the Albanian team for some bargains, particularly their RB.
It was a cruel fate that they got nothing for their effort today. They kept the French at bay for 89 minutes and 37 seconds.
One more observation. I don’t see the French winning this tournament for I don’t see the top teams allowing them to snatch a win in the dying minutes every time they play.
The Italians look much more like they could
Italy looked very good Canchaz,agreed.Took me by surprise the way the played but they looked quality.
Perhaps it was just me an my old man, but we watched the game together and both agreed that Slaven Bilic seemed very unimpressed with Ian Wright and his opinions. Anyone else or just us?
Personally i’ve been unimpressed by Ian Wright for years, especially when he played for us…as a pundit he’s decidedly average bordering on useless….