There has been no shortage of intrigue from the first round of matches at Euro 2020, with stars like old and new shining over 12 matches.
Many fans have no doubt taken advantage of the three fixtures per day and soaked every minute of major tournament action to identify the outstanding players so far.
But what do the statistics say?
With the help of the Opta player index – which calculates ratings based on data collected from each game – Stats Perform can reveal the 20 best artists to date.
With some choices that are easier to identify than others, we start from number 20 …
20. Leonardo Spinazzola
Spinazzola made good progress against Turkey / Mike Hewitt / Getty Images
Spinazzola rejoiced over Rome’s curtains and regularly provided a catalyst for the left-back Italy attack. Against Turkey, the Roma man had 83 shots – the third most on the field – and tried two shots at the same time as it created another chance.
But Spinazzola also played a key role in the defense, contributing two interceptions and a block as the Azzurri scored a ninth straight goal in a row. They have not admitted in 875 minutes.
19. Marcos Llorente
Llorente was energetic at right back / Thanassis Stavrakis – Pool / Getty Images
Another energetic presence on the slopes, the versatile Llorente forged only a single opportunity but was busy during Spain’s one-sided draw against Sweden.
Llorente was among six players in Spain who had both 100 or more details (111) and made 100 or more passes (100). He also won each of his three duels, including an air battle.
18. Jorginho
Jorginho was everywhere against Turkey / Claudio Villa / Getty Images
When Spinazzola wandered, it was Jorginho’s task to continue playing for Italy. No Azzurri player completed more passes (77, tied with Giorgio Chiellini), while the Chelsea midfielder also played 60 games in the resistance half.
Jorginho’s average position was at the center when he worked in attack and defense, which created three chances but also made three tackles and four interceptions.
17. Koke
Koke saw a lot of the ball against Sweden / David Ramos / Getty Images
Another of these Spanish stars, Koke, ranks joint second for touch (128), third for passes in the opposition half (88) and successful passes in the opposition half (80) and fourth for passes (111) and successful passes (103) throughout the tournament.
In each category, he only tracks Spain’s teammates, one of whom will still be on the list.
16. Kieffer Moore
Moore saved a point for Wales / Marcio Machado / Getty Images
Wales fought back to make it 1-1 with Switzerland when Moore made his debut in the big tournament and provided a familiar path to the goal with his physical presence.
Four of the strikers’ six goals in Wales have been headlines, while three of their last four euro strikes have also come that way. For good measure, Moore contributed with four distances at the other end.
15. Robin Olsen
Spain could not find a way past Olsen / Marcelo Del Pozo – Pool / Getty Images
It says a lot for Sweden’s defense-first strategy against Spain that Olsen led the team with 39 touches and 28 passes. Only six were completed and 26 were launched to the Spanish half.
Olsen did his job at the other end and made five saves to prevent 1.4 goals with expected goal-on-goal data. He ends up in second place among all goalkeepers in this regard.
14. Raphael Varane
Varane was outstanding in defense / MATTHIAS SCHRADER / Getty Images
France v Germany was the most anticipated match of the round, but only one player made the cut for this list. World Cup winner Varane was outstanding in defense of Les Bleus.
Far more confident than he has sometimes been in big games for Real Madrid in recent seasons, Varane won all six of his duels and defended his goal effectively with a huge eight distance and two blocks. Germany was limited to a shot on goal, their lowest euro mark since 2008.
13. Milan Skriniar
Skriniar beat Poland / DMITRI LOVETSKY / Getty Images
Slovakia surprisingly took control of Group E when Skriniar made the winner against Poland while Spain and Sweden drew.
The midfielder was once an unlikely hero for his country and failed to score in his first 37 international matches, but the thumping strike was his third in four matches.
12. Frenkie de Jong
De Jong was elegant for the Netherlands / BSR Agency / Getty Images
Frank de Boer 5-3-2 Dutch formation is not universally popular, but it gives De Jong a key role.
The Barcelona midfielder dictated games in the opening against Ukraine, leading the match for passes (97), successful passes (89), passes in the resistance half (73), touch (113) and fouls won (three). De Jong also created two chances.
11. Nelson Semedo
Nelson Semedo replaced Joao Cancelo / Alex Pantling / Getty Images
Cristiano Ronaldo made history with two goals for Portugal, but he was anonymous for much of the victory over Hungary, with right-back Semedo being the top.
Now fixed first choice after Joao Cancelo had to leave the squad, Semedo had 103 touches, delivered six posts and created two chances. Impressively, he also had a match-high seven tackles and team-high 17 duels questioned.
10. Joakim Maehle
Maehle was solid in defense / Stuart Franklin / Getty Images
Denmark’s Euro 2020 opener was overshadowed by a horrific incident with Christian Eriksen, who collapsed on the pitch and demanded life-saving medical treatment. Finland then stole a 1-0 victory in Copenhagen.
But the goal came from the winners’ only shot in the match, and left-back Maehle kept them on their hind legs. He made three interceptions and enjoyed 107 touches – both team-high totals – and tried two efforts, as well as picking up a new one.
9. Breel Embolo
Embolo was in the form of Switzerland / Marcio Machado / Getty Images
Embolo was involved in everything for Switzerland against Wales. In addition to creating two chances, he had six shots – no Swiss player has ever tried more in a Euromatch.
One of them found the net for Embolo’s sixth international goal and his third with his head, even if it was only enough for one point.
8. Andriy Yarmolenko
Arnautovic crawled in from distance / JOHN THYS / Getty Images
It was all in vain when the Netherlands won 3-2, but Ukraine’s recovery from two goals down provided plenty of entertainment on Saturday, with Yarmolenko’s fantastic strike ending a sequence of 72 Ukraine shots without a goal in Euro – dating back to 2012 – before Roman Yaremchuk did it two in a row.
Coach Andriy Shevchenko had been their only former goal scorer for Euro and he is the only player ahead of Yarmolenko in his country’s points charter, with 48 to the edge 41.
7. Marko Arnautovic
Arnautovic seals Austria’s victory over Northern Macedonia / JUSTIN SETTERFIELD / Getty Images
Austria showed the importance of having options from the bench when they beat Northern Macedonia, with Arnautovic adding a crucial third goal from his only shot in 32 minutes on the pitch.
The 32-year-old, who also created two chances, is facing a UEFA investigation due to his celebration but has now scored three of his 27 Austria goals against Northern Macedonia.
6. Michael Gregoritsch
Gregoritsch played in Austria / Daniel Mihailescu – Pool / Getty Images
Arnautovic was not the only Austrian to strike from the bench. Gregoritsch came one minute ahead of his teammate and scored the decisive second goal that restored his country’s lead 12 minutes from time.
Four of Austria’s five Euro goals have come from substitutes, with Gregoritsch and Arnautovic as the first pair to score for the same team in the competition since Michy Batshuayi and Yannick Carrasco stepped off the bench for Belgium against Hungary in 2016.
5. Thomas Meunier
Meunier came off the bench to score against Russia / ANTON VAGANOV / Getty Images
Even Belgium did not plan for Meunier to be one of the stars in the opening round. He started among the substitutes against Russia but was introduced when Timothy Castagne suffered a facial injury in the tournament.
In 63 minutes, the right-back made Belgium’s second and helped their third, becoming the first sub to do both in a Euromatch since Fernando Torres in the 2012 final.
4. Jordi Alba
Alba steps up and down Spain’s left / David Ramos / Getty Images
Wearing the captain’s bracelet in Sergio Busquet’s absence, Alba led the way for Spain against Sweden. He tried a tournament with a high 121 passes when Luis Enrique’s side set new Euro benchmarks for holdings (85.1 percent), passes (917) and successful passes (830).
Of course, Spain still did not score, but Alba could hardly be blamed for that. He created four chances for teammates – another high rating in Sevilla.
Luke Hradecky
Hradecky saved Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s penalty / Stuart Franklin / Getty Images
Finland’s big tournament arc will unfortunately be remembered for Eriksen’s collapse, but goalkeeper Hradecky made sure that his team went away with three points when he saved Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s penalty.
The Bayer Leverkusen man became only the third goalkeeper to save a spot-kick on his Eurodebut – after Przemyslaw Tyton (Poland vs. Greece, 2012) and Trols Rasmussen (Denmark vs. Spain, 1988) – finishing with six stops and a clean sheet, prevents 1.8 goals.
Romelu Lukaku
Lukaku is one of the favorites for Golden Boot / Isosport / MB Media / Getty Images
Belgium were without Kevin De Bruyne against Russia, while Eden Hazard was fit enough just for the bench, but Lukaku made sure it did not matter in a dominant individual show. Two goals took his mood at major tournaments to nine, although eight have now come into the group stage.
The first, which Lukaku celebrated with a message to Inter team-mate Eriksen, was born on poor Russian defense, before the forward rifled at a late second to move to 26 goal involutions (22 goals, four assists) in 19 matches for Belgium since the 2018 World Cup.
1. Patrik Schick
Schick scored two goals against Scotland / Petr Josek – Pool / Getty Images
In addition to the top position, the Czech Republic’s forward probably already has the goal for the tournament included. His fantastic second against Scotland was measured at 49.7 yards, the longest distance for a Euro goal since the record began in 1980.
Schick’s double – from six shots – kept an impressive run in front of goal, after scoring eight and assisting two in his last nine international starts. No Czech player had picked up a brace at a major tournament since Tomas Rosicky against the United States at the 2006 World Cup.
