Euro 2016 – Three Players to Watch in France

Euro 2016 starts on Friday 10^th June 2016 where some of the finest European football talent will be on show – but who are the three most exciting players that will be in France?

 

With the Euro’s coming up this summer, there are many teams who firmly believe they have a chance of winning this competition, so rather than looking at a full team, here’s three players I firmly believe will be very worth keeping an eye on.

 

Euro 2016 Players to Watch:

 

Antoine Griezmann – France.

 

This man has the world at his feet at the moment. He’s on fire for his club Atletico Madrid at the moment, and in all honesty he has been for the last 18 months. There were eyebrows raised at the 30 million euros Atletico Madrid paid Real Sociedad for his services, but he’s answered any doubters he may have had. He’s scored 42 goals in 69 matches for Atletico, and he will be hoping to take his form into the Euros.

 

After Karim Benzema has announced he will not be selected in the France squad for Euro 2016, I believe it’s perfect timing for Antoine to announce himself on the International stage in his own country. He has a respectable seven goals in 26 games for his country, and given most of these games he’s played wide left of a three-man attack, it’s not a bad return. He’s got it all for a forward man, pace, athleticism, stamina and he’s a great finisher as well. He adds a little extra to a traditional striker as well in that he has guile, he can link up with players outside the box and thread passes that a typical striker wouldn’t see, and at just 25, he still has a lot of development before we see him at his best. He’s also my strong Euro 2016 top goalscorer betting tip to be tournament top scorer, not just because I think France may go the distance, but because France have the easiest group on paper. Their opponents are Romania, Albania and Switzerland in Group A at Euro 2016, so expect him to score a few in the group stages alone.

 

Lorenzo Insigne – Italy

 

Insigne is a player I’ve admired for some time now. The diminutive Italian forward is one of the most exciting players to watch in Serie A, where he plays a pivotal role for his club Napoli. He can play wide in a front three or behind a striker in the number 10 role, either way he is comfortable. His short stature means he is a very agile player, has incredible acceleration and has a very keen eye for a pass. He has added goals to his game this season as well scoring 12 in 33 Serie A matches so far this season for Napoli. He’s only played eight matches for his country so far, scoring two goals, and his most recent goal was the 1-1 draw with Spain in March.

 

He is in the new wave of Italians breaking into the first team, and his domestic season almost forces him into the Italy starting line-up for Euro 2016 as he is one of the few exciting and creative players Italy have going into the tournament. Italy have Belgium, Sweden and Republic of Ireland in their group so I’d expect them to challenge Belgium for the top spot in Group E. Insigne definitely adds something different to any other player in the Italy squad as he is very unorthodox in his playing style, and as he is 24, he may find this a great tournament to become a permanent fixture for his country.

 

Ivan Rakitic – Croatia

 

 It’s easy for this man to be forgotten about when talking about how incredible Barcelona are. Obviously the front three are always the first players lauded whenever Barcelona play well as well as Sergio Busquets, but I’d say Ivan Rakitic was equally as important. Xavi has already moved on, and Andres Iniesta isn’t getting any younger, so Ivan has had to step into big shoes when filling the void of the player who links up the play between defence and the front three. No one covers more ground for Barcelona on average than this man, and he’s not just about the engine, he has incredible vision, and is always good for a goal. He is one of the main men for his country Croatia, and alongside Luka Modric and either Brozovic or Kovacic, really creates a formidable midfield. He’s also one of the few players who are genuinely comfortable with the ball at either foot, and when he is in form he is a joy to watch.

 

He’s 28 now, so is bang in his prime, and at this European Championships this summer I expect big things from him. Croatia have threatened to really cause an upset for a number of years without ever fully doing so, but this time around they are dark horses for Euro 2016. They have a pretty tough group in Turkey, Czech Republic and Spain in Group D, but they certainly have the quality and defensive strength to beat all three teams. And if Ivan pops up with a goal or two as well, I definitely fancy them to make it out of the group for another of my Euro 2016 predictions.