The first round of fixtures in Euro 2024 had it all: wonder strikes, close games, and intriguing tactical matchups. Many of the standout players currently play in Serie A, once again showing how underrated the league is. This article will highlight some top performers from the Serie A. With two more fixtures to be played later today keep an eye out for Çalhanoğlu, Yildiz and Kvaratskhelia in the 5pm kick off and Leao in the 8pm kick off.

Nicoló Barella

Scoring a goal and being instrumental in Italy’s buildup play, Nicoló Barella’s performance was pivotal in Italy’s 2-1 win against Albania. With 117 touches, a passing accuracy of 105 out of 108, and a heatmap covering the entire center of the park, Barella was vital to Italy’s victory. His relentless running and ability to excel as a box-to-box midfielder allowed his teammate Jorginho to sit back and string passes from a deeper position, creating a balanced and effective midfield dynamic. Barella allows

Tijjani Reijnders

Netherlands win against Poland was noted by a number of strong performers. One being AC Milan’s Tijjani Reijnders. The young midfielder was given the opportunity to play as an advanced 8 and his box crashing ability we have seen at AC Milan was on full display and he was unlucky to not score, missing a big chance in the first half. Lining up alongside PSV duo Schouten and Veerman the young midfielder looked good and the midfield build up was fluid. Another notable performance in this game came from Nicola Zalewski who looked like a good outlet for Poland and dangerous on the counter. If Poland want any success they will need Zalewski to continue on from a good performance.

Riccardo Calafiori

Calafiori definitely caught the eye in Italy’s win. Twitter (X) and Instagram were flooded with praise for the young Bolognan centre back. Calafiori had a good overall performance and looked solid in possession with 99 accurate passes (93%) and strong in the tackle and in the air. Him alongside Bastoni is shaping up to be a lethal centre back pairing for years to come. It will be very interesting to see where he ends up this summer, with Juventus and former manager Thiago Motta as the front runners. However, there is also interest from Premier League sides

Lobotka and Duda

The first shock result of the tournament came as Slovakia beat Belgium 1-0. Once again, two Serie A players stood out. The midfield trio of Duda (Hellas Verona), Lobotka (Napoli)—who won Player of the Match—and Kucka (Slovan) were elite against Belgium. The Slovakian midfield, consisting of two Serie A players, outplayed the Belgian midfield. They were smart on the turn and in possession, and Belgium had no answer to their solid, structured side. Duda orchestrated the play with his vision and creativity, consistently finding pockets of space and threading incisive passes. Lobotka’s tireless work rate and precise distribution were instrumental in maintaining Slovakia’s tempo and disrupting Belgium’s rhythm.Their cohesive performance stifled Belgium’s star-studded lineup.

Theo Hernandez

Hernandez looked at his best against a compact Austria side. With Thuram playing very narrow (and also performing well), Hernandez held the attacking width on the left-hand side. Hernandez was superb offensively and looked dangerous, recording 0.61 xA. Defensively, he was strong with an 85% success rate in ground duels. Hernandez once again showed his class and why he should be considered one of the best left-backs in the world.

Michel Aebischer

Aebischer was one of the top performers in Switzerland’s comprehensive 3-1 win against Hungary. He scored one of the goals of the tournament with an outside-the-box strike that nestled into the bottom corner. This goal capped an excellent performance from left wing-back, an unfamiliar position for the Bologna player who was typically utilised as a centre midfielder. Switzerland’s fluid, interchangeable midfield meant that while Aebischer started at left wing-back, he often inverted to support the midfield. Fellow club teammate Dan Ndoye also played well and made some dangerous runs.