Euro 2020 Group C: The Netherlands silenced Europe with stellar performances

Group C’s Breakout Star

Man… There are so many shouts for this specific accolade but it really can only go to Donyell Malen from the Netherlands.

He and Denzel Dumfries were the final contestants but with Malen only 22 and younger than his countryman, he gets the award for the best young player.

Both are enjoying their first major tournament and both have had a strong hand in their country’s group stage triumph.

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What has made Donyell Malen’s that extra bit special is how he had to work his way into the starting XI and now has left Frank de Boer with difficult decisions to make.

Does he start him or not in Sunday’s Euro 2020 Round of 16 match? Decisions, decisions, de Boer.

Group C’s Best Player – Georginio Wijnaldum

Is there any disputing Gini as the best player of Group C? The man with the captain’s armband has led from the middle of the pitch.

Not only has he pulled the string and dictated how well the game will go for the Dutch but he has also become the first Dutchman to score three or more goals in a group stage since Ruud van Nistelrooy.

He is doing all this from the central area. Making it an even bigger achievement is how he’s switched roles from being a more defensive-minded player at Liverpool to a more advanced midfielder that arrives late in the box to add an extra option for a goalscoring opportunity.

Wijnaldum has started every game for the Netherlands and has taken over the captaincy from the recovering Virgil van Dijk.

He also relieved some of the pressure off manager Frank de Boer, who has been highly doubted since taking over the job from Ronald Koeman, who is now the boss at Barcelona.