Germany dominate opening round – Euro 2024 Team of Matchday 1 | OneFootball

The first round of 2024 European Championship fixtures has been completed and we’ve now got some insight into every team in the competition.

It’s been an exciting opening to the tournament. There have been 34 goals from 12 matches, with not a single game finishing goalless.

And, of course, there have been plenty of standout performances. Here is our best XI from the first games of Euro 2024.

GK – Unai Simon (Spain) – Only five teams from a possible 24 kept clean sheets on the opening day, so there wasn’t a wide selection of goalkeepers to choose from. One man who earned his shut-out was Spain’s Unai Simon.

Following an error which led to a Croatia penalty, the stopper made amends in perfect fashion. Simon leapt to his right to keep out Bruno Petkovic’s spot-kick, effectively ending any hopes of a comeback for the opposition.

RB – Mert Muldur (Turkey) – There have been several top-class goals already at this competition – and Mert Muldur boasts arguably the best of the lot.

The full-back opened the scoring with a blinding strike in the 25th minute. Ferdi Kadioglu’s cross was headed away as far as Muldur, who unleashed a stunning volley into the roof of the net from the edge of the box.

CB – Marc Guehi (England) – Despite the result, England’s opening day performance against Serbia brought more criticism than praise. One positive they can take was the defensive display.

Playing in his first-ever major tournament, Marc Guehi was the best of a rock-solid Three Lions backline. He let nothing past him all evening, nullifying the physical threat of Aleksandar Mitrovic.

CB – Radu Dragusin (Romania) – Many people touted Ukraine as dark horses for this tournament. And with Artem Dovbyk, Mykhailo Mudryk and Georgiy Sudakov in their frontline, it’s not difficult to see why.

However, all three were quiet in their 3-0 defeat to Romania. Tottenham Hotspur’s Radu Dragusin was the standout for the Tricolorii, showcasing his composure at the back as well as his ability on the ball.

LB – Michel Aebischer (Switzerland) – Primarily a central midfielder, manager Murat Yakin opted to put Michel Aebischer at left-wing-back for his nation’s opener against Hungary. This proved to be an inspired choice.

Aebischer had a stellar first half, registering a brilliant assist before scoring his side’s second. His through ball set up Kwadwo Duah, and his curling effort from outside the box doubled the lead.

RM – Jamal Musiala (Germany) – Heading into the competition, Jamal Musiala was selected by many people as one to watch. During the opening game, the Bayern Munich playmaker justified the hype with a brilliant display.

The youngster showcased his ability to its fullest extent, most notably with several of his trademark mazy dribbles. On top of this, he grabbed a wonderful goal, slamming into the roof of the net from Kai Havertz’s cutback.

CM – Toni Kroos (Germany) – Toni Kroos is set to retire from football after Euro 2024. And so far, it looks like he could go out with a bang.

The six-time Champions League winner dictated the game from start to finish, completing an astonishing 101 passes from an attempted 102 while creating four chances.

CM – Stanislav Lobotka (Slovakia) – There are few tasks more daunting for a central midfielder than going directly up against Kevin De Bruyne.

But it’s a test that Stanislav Lobotka passed with flying colours as his team pulled off an unlikely victory over Belgium.

Lobotka was at the heart of Slovakia’s performance, making several tackles and interceptions while showing great composure on the ball. The result gives Francesco Calzona’s men a real chance of progressing to the knockout stage.

CM – Nicolae Stanciu (Romania) – Monday’s victory over Ukraine was only Romania’s second-ever win in European Championship history. It was an excellent performance, and Nicolae Stanciu was the star of the show.

The midfielder lit up the game with a dazzling moment of quality in the 29th minute. Following Dennis Man’s lay-off, Stanciu swept the ball into the top corner from 25 yards, setting Romania on their way to a dominant 3-0 triumph.

LM – Florian Wirtz (Germany) – The third and final German in the XI is Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz.

Off the back of being named the Bundesliga’s Player of the Season, the 21-year-old picked up where he left off with a top-tier display in Germany’s 5-1 thrashing of Scotland.

Wirtz got the ball rolling in the tenth minute with the opening goal. Joshua Kimmich picked out the playmaker on the edge of the box, and he fired in off the post to put Die Mannschaft in front.

ST – Alvaro Morata (Spain) – Does Alvaro Morata deserve more respect from the footballing world?

Despite playing for Real Madrid, Juventus, Chelsea and Atletico Madrid during his career, not many people hold the Spaniard in particularly high regard.

One place where he often excels is on the international stage. On Saturday, he netted his 36th goal for La Furia Roja and his tenth at major tournaments, racing through and coolly slotting home from Fabian Ruiz’s through ball.