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Published: May 31, 2021 1:32 pm
Last Updated: May 31, 2021 1:36 pm
The 10 best goalkeepers going to Euro 2020
In this article, we’ll reveal who we think are the 10 best goalkeepers going to Euro 2020 this summer.
And, without further ado, the 101 list of the 10 best goalkeepers going to Euro 2020 is as follows.
10) Mike Maignan (France)
Coming off the back of a fantastic season at Lille, where he helped his side beat PSG to the Ligue 1 title for the first time in a decade, Mike Maignan may be the best goalkeeper that won’t play at the European Championships this summer.
The Frenchman has been in brilliant form, and his performances have landed him a move to AC Milan this summer as a replacement for outgoing goalie Gianluigi Donnarumma.
? Gianluigi Donnarumma this season
? 48 Appearances
? 54 Goals conceded
? 18 Clean Sheets? Mike Maignan this season
? 48 Appearances
? 38 Goals conceded
? 23 Clean Sheets pic.twitter.com/qPazdTmivM— Milan Posts (@MilanPosts) May 24, 2021
Despite his form, Maignan is unlikely to displace compatriot and national team captain Hugo Lloris in between the posts for the World Cup Champions. Nevertheless, were he to be called upon, he would provide a competent option for Les Blues.
9) Peter Gulacsi (Hungary)
Once part of the Liverpool squad, Gulasci has made huge strides forward since his time on Merseyside. Now 31, the Hungarian has spent the last six seasons in between the posts for German side RB Leipzig.
In his time with the club, Gulasci has helped them to promotion from the second flight of German football, as well as Champions League qualification in four of the five seasons since.
Imagine t’es défenseur/gardien de la Hongrie, tu t’apprêtes cet été à faire face à :
?? Cristiano Ronaldo
?? Joao Felix
?? Bruno Fernandes
?? Bernardo Silva
?? Benzema
?? Mbappé
?? Griezmann
?? O. Dembélé
?? Coman
?? Giroud
?? Müller
?? Sané
?? Gnabry
?? Havertz
?? Werner pic.twitter.com/nkJrwYniqj— Actu Foot (@ActuFoot_) May 18, 2021
His partnership with clubmate Willi Orban could well be the foundations on which Hungary build any sort of momentum this summer, whilst at the other end midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai is certainly one to look out for.
Despite this, it could be a short stay for Hungary at the tournament, unless they can cause a serious upset. Drawn into the “group of death”, which includes World Cup holders France, the winners of the last European Championships Portugal, and 2014 World Cup winners Germany, they could struggle to make it into the knockout rounds.
Despite their pedigree and the size of their task, Hungary will feel that they are able to give any nation a run for their money over 90 minutes.
8. Anthony Lopes (Portugal)
Back across to France now, and whilst Lyon had a poor season by their standards, their goalkeeper largely escaped criticism. Portuguese Anthony Lopes produced some stellar performances, saving his side 2 goals in the process according to fb.ref.
Lopes is by no means a shoo-in for the no.1 spot, with Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper Rui Patricio also in the squad for the summer. However, of his 13 national caps to date, 3 have come in Portugal’s last three fixtures, and he has started in goal for four of the last six.
?? Anthony Lopes makes it into @SelecaoPortugal’s #EURO2020 squad – nice going! https://t.co/NFvcEuCcIL
— Olympique Lyonnais ???? (@OL_English) May 20, 2021
Standing at just over 6ft tall, he is on the small side for a goalkeeper, and this can sometimes work against him when commanding his penalty area. On pure shot-stopping ability, however, he is one of the best, and will be a valuable asset to a very strong Portugal side this summer.
7) Hugo Lloris (France)
The French number one and the last man to lift the World Cup, Hugo Lloris is a household name. He has endured a tough season at Tottenham Hotspur, who needed a last-minute victory on the final day to qualify for the Europa Conference League, UEFA’s third-tier competition. However, he has been one of the better shot-stoppers in the league, as the graphic below demonstrates.
Rate Hugo Lloris’ season out of 10 ? pic.twitter.com/ZVeESYJWdB
— The Spurs Web ⚪️ (@thespursweb) May 25, 2021
His position in Didier Deschamps’s France side is hardly in doubt. Holder of 123 France caps since his debut in 2008, he has been a mainstay between the posts for Les Blues but at 34 years-old, could be playing his last European Championships for his country.
A capable commander of his talented defence, Lloris will be looking to build upon the success that they had in 2018 and complete the international double.
6) David de Gea (Spain)
Although he has been in and out of the Manchester United side, David De Gea is the strong favourite to start in goal for Spain this summer. The goalkeeper has kept 9 clean sheets in his 26 Premier League appearances, but has failed to hit the heights he hit in 2015/16 season in the years since.
Nevertheless, De Gea has accumulated 45 caps for Spain, taking over the role from national icon Iker Casillas, and has generally provided good performances for La Furia Roja.
Why David De Gea is so bad at saving penalties? / Analysis from @SamJDean https://t.co/OdJno8IsHu
— Telegraph Sport (@TelegraphSport) May 27, 2021
With the controversial decision to leave Sergio Ramos out of the 24 man squad that Luis Enrique named, the centre of Spain’s defence will be chronically short of International experience.
Eric Garcia and Diego Llorente have both won seven caps apiece, whilst world-class defender Aymeric Laporte is yet to make his debut for Spain after switching nationality earlier this month.
This all means that the experience of David De Gea could be yet more relied upon, although the shot-stopper may be busier than he may wish.
5) Wojciech Szczesny (Poland)
Once on the books at Arsenal, Wojciech Szczesny has gone on to have a brilliant career in Italy with Juventus.
Although Szczesny has endured a more error-prone this season than in previous campaigns, he remains a very good shot-stopper and will be a player that Polish boss Paulo Sousa will be looking to rely upon amidst a squad littered with talent.
Wojciech Szczesny during the Serie A match between AS Roma and Udinese Calcio at Olimpico Stadium on August 20, 2016 in Rome, Italy.
Appearing 30 times in Serie A for Juventus this season, Szczesny has kept just 6 clean sheets in what has proved to be a leaky defence for the Old Lady. However, he remains a very good goalkeeper, and will be looking to add to his 52 caps this summer.
Although one expects it will be Lewandowski that grabs the headlines for Poland in the upcoming tournament, Szczesny at the other end may prove just as valuable.
4) Kasper Schmeichel (Denmark)
Son of Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel, Kasper always had big gloves to fill. Quietly and competently, he has done just that.
Adding the FA Cup victory this season to a trophy cabinet already containing a odds-shattering Premier League win with Leicester City, Schmeichel is one of the best goalkeepers in the division.
He is well established at International level too, with the 34-year-old having racked made 63 appearances for the Denmark national team. Although he has some way to go to match the incredible 126 caps that his father won, it is still a very respectable return for a man who didn’t make his international debut until he was 24.
Captain Kasper Schmeichel and Leicester City fans ?
Enjoy! ?
? @EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/gquwMtZORL
— VBET News (@VBETnews) May 21, 2021
Schmeichel will likely be busy this summer, with Denmark considered by many to be huge outsiders for the tournament. Negotiating a tricky group containing Finland, Belgium and Russia will be the starting point for the Danes, who will feel confident that they can rely on a safe pair of hands to see them through.
3) Thibaut Courtois (Belgium)
The undisputed no.1 for Belgium, Thibaut Courtois is renowned for his large frame and exceptional reflexes.
Playing every minute of Real Madrid’s disappointing campaign, Courtois was nevertheless outstanding for Los Blancos, and has been generally good since his £58 million move to the Spanish capital from Chelsea.
?| Thibaut Courtois is now the 7th Real Madrid goalkeeper in history to play every league game in a season. The other 6 are:
• Iker Casillas (4×)
• Paco Buyo (2×)
• Antonio Betancort (2×)
• Ricardo Zamora
• Pepe Banon
• Jose VicenteConsistent. ?? @TheRMadridTV#rmalive pic.twitter.com/yNmhxDrDjn
— Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) May 23, 2021
It has been a glittering career for Courtois, who has two Premier League trophies and a Europa League victory to his name. However, he and Belgium are yet to experience success international, despite a star-studded line up.
Playing behind a now ageing defence comprising of veteran defenders Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld, Courtois may have to be at his sharpest if the Belgians are to change that at this tournament.
2) Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy)
Still only 22-years-old, it feels as if Gianluigi Donnarumma has been around for ever. Making his Italy debut in 2016 at just 18, the shot-stopper has gone on to represent his country 25 times already and looks nailed on to start for the Azzuri this summer.
Donnarumma has been in good form for domestic side AC Milan too, appearing in all but one of their Serie A games this season. The Italian kept the joint-most clean sheets in the division (14) as he helped his side secure Champions League football for the first time since the 2013/14.
Although the future seems bright for il Rossineri, Donnarumma will not be there to witness it, with it being revealed that he will be leaving the club this summer upon his contract expiry.
Gianluigi Donnarumma will leave AC Milan as a free agent in the next weeks. The decision has been made and it’s confirmed by Milan director Maldini: the goalkeeper will decide his next club soon.
Milan are gonna sign Mike Maignan from Lille as new GK for €13m fee. ??? #Milan
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 26, 2021
A string of good performances this summer will surely add to the considerable list of suitors that the 22-year-old has, and it may allow him more freedom over his next move.
1) Manuel Neuer (Germany)
Undisputedly one of the best goalkeepers in world history, Manuel Neuer has made almost 100 appearances for Germany in a national team career that has spanned more than twelve years.
World Cup winner in 2014, his sweeper-keeper tendencies have made him one of the most revered goalkeepers in the world, although World Cup 2018 showed that it can also get him into trouble.
And his role in the German national setup is not yet showing any signs of slowing up. Coming off the back of another title-winning season with Bayern Munich, his calming presence behind the German defence could prove vital to any success that they have.
****
Summary: 10 best goalkeepers going to Euro 2020
- Mike Maignan
- Peter Gulacsi
- Anthony Lopes
- Hugo Lloris
- David de Gea
- Wojciech Szczesny
- Kasper Schmeichel
- Thibaut Courtois
- Gianluigi Donnarumma
- Manuel Neuer
The 10 best goalkeepers going to Euro 2020
So who did we miss off the list?
Well, there was no room for any of the keepers in the England squad.
While perhaps more controversially, the likes of Martin Dúbravka (Slovakia) and Rui Patricio (Wolves) didn’t make the cut either.
****
Read more: Is Donnarumma closer to Milan exit after Maignan agrees to join till 2026?
How to watch UEFA EURO 2020 online
This article was edited by
Benjamin Newman.
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