Euro 2021 key players Group A
Italy
FIFA World Ranking: 7
Key players for Italy:
Jorginho, hot off his Champions League victory with Chelsea, hopes to inspire similar greatness for Italy. He’s likely to line up in a holding midfielder position.
Federico Chiesa should be heavily relied upon for secondary scoring. The Juventus midfielder should feature in an attacking role on the wing.
Ciro Immobile has scored a lot of goals at the Stadio Olimpico, where he stars for Lazio. Immobile should start as Italy’s striker. He’ll need to meet high expectations to continue in that role.
Giorgio Chiellini is the captain of the Italian team and should start as a central defender. The 36-year-old Juventus player is needed in a leadership role on the squad.
Switzerland
FIFA World Ranking: 13
Key players for Switzerland:
Xherdan Shaqiri will be a focal point in the Swiss attack. The Liverpool player should start as an attacking midfielder. Shaqiri is Switzerland’s biggest star player on the team.
Granit Xhaka of Arsenal will be relied on in a holding midfielder role. He’s the captain of the team and former captain of Arsenal as well.
Manuel Akanji, playing for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, is the most important defender on the team. Switzerland will want him to play strong for every minute of the tournament.
Remo Freuler should start for Switzerland as a central midfielder. He’s had a lot of playing time for Atalanta in Italy’s Serie A this season. Freuler will be a key component of any Swiss success.
Wales
FIFA World Ranking: 17
Key players for Wales:
Gareth Bale is the captain of Wales and perhaps the most lethal player in Group A. Bale, currently on loan to Tottenham Hotspur, should start on the right-wing of the attack for Wales.
Aaron Ramsey, currently with Juventus in Italy’s Serie A, will be the key component of the Welsh midfield. He’s very experienced playing elite-level football and plays a huge role on Wales national team.
Ben Davies is the most valuable defensive member of the Welsh squad. Currently with Tottenham where he’s played a lot at football’s highest level. Davies is usually featured as a left-back.
Daniel James will play a key role for Wales as an attacking winger. Currently, with Manchester United, James scored three Premier League goals this season in 15 matches.
Turkey
FIFA World Ranking: 29
Key players for Turkey:
Burak Yilmaz is the star striker and captain of the Turkish team. Yilmaz, age 35 helped Lille win the Ligue 1 title in France this season. He led Lille in scoring with 16 goals.
Caglar Soyuncu is the best of a very strong Turkish defensive group. Playing centre-back for Leicester City in the Premier League, Soyuncu is accustomed to playing at football’s highest level.
Merih Demiral of Juventus will be the other centre-back for Turkey. He’s a tall and strong defender, and at age 23 should be a feature of the Turkish squad for many years.
Hakan Calhanoglu will be featured in an attacking midfield role. Currently, with AC Milan, Calhanoglu played 33 matches in Serie A this season.
