Best Defenders of Euro 2020 Who Can Set the Competition On Fire

You might have heard of the phrase that says: “the best defense is a good offense.” Football managers attempt to encourage their team to attack their opponents as much as possible and create chances for their teammates to score. However, a good defensive line is vital to keep the attackers off the net. A good defensive line puts pressure on attackers and keeps them from scoring goals.

In order to fulfill this task, the team needs a good goalkeeper and fast defenders with great talent. In addition to strikers and midfielders and etc., Football managers focus on the quality of their defensive line which plays an important role in the victory of the team. The competition in Euro 2020 is going on fire with an excellent choice of defenders. Stay tuned with us to get to know the

top defenders of Euro 2020

.

Defenders Advantages On the Pitch

24 sides are competing to earn the Euro 2020 champion title and pick up the trophy. The former winner of the competition, Portugal national team named Joao Cancelo, Nelson Semedo, Jose Fonte, Pepe, Ruben Dias, Nuno Mendes, Raphael Guerreiro to form their defensive line. Cristiano Ronaldo is a big threat to other teams, making his way to the net in every game to score goals and make a record.

On Thursday the top scorer managed to score two penalties against France and reached 109 international goals and equal Iran's Ali Daei's record of most international goals. The competition is getting more exciting with the elimination of North Macedonia and Poland. Of course the

best defenders of Euro 2020 who can set the competition on fire

are playing an important role. Find out all the details about these defenders in the following.

Top 10 Defenders of UEFA Euro 2020

Euro 2020 is a good stage for young footballers to showcase their talents on international level and attract attention from big clubs. Senior footballers also fight for their country to win the battle and pick up the trophy. This article is set to highlight the best defenders of Euro 2020 from different European nations. Stay tuned and let’s get into the top 10 defenders of UEFA Euro 2020.

10. Presnel Kimpembe

is a French professional footballer who plays as centre-back for Ligue 1 club

and the France national team. The young footballer is very talented as a defender and he is a member of France squad in Euro 2020. The footballer is the product of Paris Saint-Germain and he debuted for the club on 17 October 2014, coming in as Thiago Motta substitute. Kimpembe is considered to be a good passer.

Among all the footballers during Europe’s big 5 leagues he was the second with a 96 percent pass completion rate. As for his defensive skills, he is a powerful player, and this season he only allowed eight footballers to dribble pass him. This is the first time Kimpembe is playing in Euros and hopefully, he will showcase his talents in forming a great defense wall along with his teammates. Find out more about the

best defenders of Euro 2020 who can set the competition on fire

in the following.

9. Harry Maguire (England)

is an English professional player who plays as centre-back for Premier League club

and England national team. He is a product of Sheffield United and made his debut for the first team in 2010. While he was at Sheffield United he was named Player of the Year three consecutive times, also featuring in the PFA Team of the Year for League One as many times. During his career he moved to Manchester United for an estimated amount of £80 million which was a world record amount for a defender.

When it comes to building a defensive line Maguire is a beast. No one can breach his defense and get to the net. He managed to win 77.5 percent of his aerial duels, which was ninth in all of Europe’s Big 5 leagues. The footballer couldn’t feature in games since his injuring ankle ligaments however he appeared in England’s training for the championship.

His injury has raised concerns but he will certainly be an important feature in the Three Lions setup. Reece James stated about the defender: “We all know how much of a key player he is in this squad,” the right-back said. “You can see how big an influence he has when he didn’t play in the Europa League final. It’s great to see him back on the training field today and hopefully he’s back soon.” Find out further details about the top defenders of Euro 2020 in the following.

8. Thomas Vermaelen (Belgium)

is a Belgian professional centre-back who plays for J1 League club Vissel Kobe and the

national team. An agile defender with excellent leadership skills who is also capable of scoring goals. Vermaelen often plays as a left-sided centre-back and he can play at left-back as well. The Belgian defender is a product of Ajax youth academy. He made a reputation for himself as a professional footballer and quickly made his way to the top.

In 2009 he joined The Gunners and put himself under the spotlight with his great skills on the pitch. In 2014 he was spotted by Barcelona and move to the club. Currently he plays for Vissel Kobe. Over the years the defender showed incredible defending skills on international level as well. During Euro 2020, Belgium faced Finland and defeated them 2-0. Vermaelen managed to score the opening goal of the game. Find out more about the

best defenders of Euro 2020 who can set the competition on fire

in the following.

7. Vladimir Coufal (Czech Republic)

Another defender on our list is Vladimir Coufal who is a Czech professional footballer. He plays as a defender for Premier League club West Ham United and the Czech Republic national team. The footballer started his career with FC Hlučín and established himself as a good defender at the club. He first debuted for the side in September 2010 in a game against Dukla Prague just after he turned 18.

6. Aymeric Laporte (Spain)

is a French-born professional defender who plays for Premier League club Manchester City and the

n

 national team. He first started his professional career at Athletic Bilbao. He was the second French footballer at the club after Bixente Lizarazu. Laporte is a strong defender with a unique style of play.

Spanish football journalist Guillem Balagué described Laporte as a "centre-back who can play from the back and is strong", adding that "he is certainly a powerful defender”. On international level ahead of Euro 2020 Laporte switched sides from France to Spain. He has never represented the French side on senior level. Stay tuned for more details about the best defenders of Euro 2020 who can set the competition on fire.

5. Robin Gosens (Germany)

is a German professional footballer who plays as a left midfielder or left-back for Serie A club Atalanta and the

. Gosens is a young talent on the edge of rising. He was born in Emmerich am Rhein, Germany which is located near the Dutch border. His father is Dutch, and his mother is from Germany. This made him eligible to be a part of Netherlands national team, however, he preferred to represent the German national team.

On 25 August 2020, he was included in the Germany national team squad and he debuted for the side in the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League match over Spain. On 19 May 2021, he received a call-up to UEFA Euro 2020. On 19 June 2021, he aimed the net and scored a goal in a 4-2 victory against Portugal. He also provided an assist for his teammates in the same game. Later Gosens was awarded the Star of the Match. Stay tuned for more details about the best defenders of Euro 2020 who can set the competition on fire.

4. Andreas Christensen (Denmark)

Meet another wonder kid in the list of best defenders of Euro 2020 who can set the competition on fire.

is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Chelsea and the

national team. He joined Chelsea while he was 15 years old and established himself as a talented defender.

Back in 2018, Chelsea manager Antonio Conte stated that the Dane showed “great maturity” adding that he has “A lot of trust in Christensen. This player is a player for the present for Chelsea, and for Chelsea's future for 10 or 14 years. He can also become the captain of this team in the future”. The gifted defender made his senior debut on the international level in a 2-1 friendly victory over Montenegro.

He managed to score his first goal for Denmark on 14 November 2017, in a 5-1 win against the Republic of Ireland in the second leg of the play-off. During the most exciting tournament of summer, while Denmark faced Russia and was at the edge of elimination. However, the Danes showed absolute courage and dedication by defeating their opponent 4-1. Christensen managed to score the third goal in the 79th minute with a beautiful shot.

3. Leonardo Spinazzola (Italy)

One of the top defenders of Euro 2020 is

the Italian footballer who plays as a left-sided midfielder or wing-back for Serie A club Roma and the

. Ahead of Euro 2020 Spinazzola stated in an interview: “We’ve been waiting a year for this tournament. It’s my first major competition with the Azzurri, so I am feeling particularly excited.” He further added: “Our philosophy is to press constantly, even if the timing might not seem right. Recovering the ball quickly with your forwards is important, because the less the ball reaches your penalty area, the higher you can defend.”

In June 2021 he was selected by manager Roberto Mancini as one of the members of Italy’s squad for UEFA Euro 2020. In the first match on 11 June Italy faced Turkey. The Italian squad managed to defeat them 3-0. Spinazzola was named man of the match by UEFA for his remarkable performance. He provided an assist for his teammates for the second goal with a parried shot which was scored by Ciro Immobile off the rebound.

On 26 June, once again he pulled off a great performance while providing an assist for the opening goal scored by

in extra-time on an eventual 2–1 victory against Austria in the round of 16. Later he made another wonder by assisting the winning goal of Matteo Pessina. Due to his dedication to the victory of his team he was named man of the match for the second time in the competition by UEFA. Learn more about the best defenders of Euro 2020 who can set the competition on fire in the following.

2. Joakim Maehle (Denmark)

One of the

best defenders of Euro 2020

is Joakim Maehle. He is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a full-back for Serie A club Atalanta and the Denmark national team. He first started his professional career with the local club Østervrå IF and later made a move to AaB youth academy at the age of 12. On 22 December 2020, he reached an agreement with Atalanta on a five-year contract for a fee of €10 million.

At the time he was in Italy he admitted he hasn’t yet got used to Italian football and stated in an interview: “In Italy, I found a different style of play than I was used to,” said the 24-year old wingback. “But I immediately had the confidence of Mr. Gasperini,” he added. The footballer featured on the international level as well. He made his debut for Denmark national team on 5 September 2020 in a Nations League game over Belgium. He replaced

in the 72nd minute, and they got defeated 2-0.

Maehle scored his first international goal in a friendly game over Faroe Islands on 7 October 2020. The 24-year-old defender is a star on the edge of rising. During the Euro 2020, he played the full 90 minutes of Denmark games in the campaign. He showed remarkable defensive technique as well as goal-scoring abilities. On June 21, Denmark went on and faced Russia. Denmark squad performed strongly as they scored 4 goals and defeated

4-1. Maehle scored the fourth goal in the 82nd minute. On June 24, in a 4-0 win against Wales,

scored a goal in the 88th minute as well.

1. Raphael Varane (France)

Meet Raphael Varane the number one of

top 10 defenders of UEFA Euro 2020

list. He is a remarkable defender of the French side and plays for the Spanish club Real Madrid and the France national team. Varane started his professional career for the French club Lens. He made his debut for the side in October 2010. Raphael Varane is indeed one of the best defenders of Euro 2020 who can set the competition on fire.

His great performance on the pitch drew attention from big clubs like

and he got on board with the blues. The footballer has made more than 300 appearances for the club and has won 18 major Honours, including three

titles, one Copa del Rey title, four UEFA Champions League titles, and four FIFA Club World Cup titles. While he was just 24 years old, he managed to win the UEFA Champions League for the third time.

He became the youngest defender to win the trophy for three times and broke Paolo Maldini record who was 26 when he won the title. Aside from his club career, the footballer also has featured on the international level. During the 2014 FIFA World Cup, he was nominated for the Best Young Player Award. Fernando Hierro and José Mourinho in 2013 and 2014 named the young player the best defender in the world. Lens youth coach Eric Assadourian described him to be: “A truly first-class player who is comfortable on both the tactical and technical level.”

On 30 January 2013, in a press conference post-El Clásico of the Copa del Rey then- Real Madrid assistant coach Aitor Karanka stated about the defender: “It’s obvious that

has a good head on his shoulders and will keep improving.” Football expert constantly compares the defender to Real Madrid legend Fernando Hierro. However Former France defender Frank Leboeuf believe that he can do better than Hierro. Leboeuf commented: “Many compare him to Hierro due to his technique, but on the physical level he is stronger and he is much faster.”

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