With Sunday’s U21 European Championship on the horizon, here we run through the best rated combined XI between the two finalists, Spain and Germany.
Goalkeeper: Antonio Sivera (Spain) - 6.74 rating
Antonio Sivera came into the team in gameweek two after first-choice goalkeeper Unai Simon was ruthlessly dropped following a calamitous performance in a 3-1 defeat to Italy. Spain have have won all three matches since then and Sivera has made eight saves during that time, conceding twice.
Left-back: Aaron Martin (Spain) - 7.24 rating
Aaron Martin has shared the responsibility as Spain’s left-back with Junior Firpo this summer and it remains to be seen who will get the nod in Sunday’s final, with both starting two matches each. Based on WhoScored rating, it should be Martin, who has provided an assist from his two starts and completed 90.6% of his passes. The 22-year-old also averages more tackles per game (3) than any other player in Spain’s squad.
Centre-back: Nunez (Spain) - 6.92 rating
Nunez has been below Jesus Vallejo and Jorge Mere in the pecking order this summer but has barely put a foot wrong when given the chance to play. The 22-year-old has started two of Spain’s four games this summer and is the highest WhoScored rated centre-back across both finalists. Nunez has completed 90.9% of his passes and is winning more aerial duels per game than any other player in Spain’s squad (1.5).
Centre-back: Jonathan Tah (Germany) - 6.78 rating
Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Jonathan Tah is one of only three Germany players in our best rated combined XI. No Germany player averages more clearances per game at the tournament than Tah (3.3), while the powerful centre-back has also registered one assist from his four appearances.
Right-back: Martin Aguirregabiria (Spain) - 6.69 rating
Martin Aguirregabiria is the only Spain player yet to miss a single minute of action at this summer’s tournament. The Alaves defender has made the right-back position his own and is a guaranteed name on Luis de la Fuente’s team sheet for Sunday’s final. Only Aaron Martin (3) averages more tackles per game than Aguirregabiria (2.3) of Spain players in the competition this summer.
Central midfield: Marc Roca (Spain) - 7.61 rating
Marc Roca will hope to get the nod ahead of Mikel Merino and Igor Zubeldia in central midfield for Sunday’s final against Germany after excelling in their last four win over France. No Spain player averages more interceptions than Roca at the tournament (2), while the defensive midfielder has also chipped in with a goal and an assist in his two appearances.
Central midfield: Fabian Ruiz (Spain) - 7.93 rating
Fabian Ruiz has done his reputation no harm whatsoever this summer with a series of eye-catching performances for Spain. The Napoli midfielder has played a direct hand in three goals in as many appearances (one goal, two assists) and has completed 90.5% of his passes. The 23-year-old averages three shots per game; as well as 2.7 key passes and 1.7 dribbles per game.
Left wing: Marco Richter (Germany) - 8.32 rating
Germany’s Marco Richter edges new West Ham signing Pablo Fornals in the best rated combined XI after playing a direct hand in five goals in three appearances. He was an unused substitute in their semi-final win over Romania and provides Stefan Kuntz with a selection headache following Naidem Amiri’s perfect WhoScored 10 rated performance. Richter scored and assisted in Germany’s first two matches at the tournament.
Attacking midfield: Dani Ceballos (Spain) - 8.08 rating
Dani Ceballos is deemed surplus to requirements by Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane but there will be plenty of managers desperate to sign the 22-year-old off the back of his performances at the U21 European Championships. Ceballos has played a direct hand in four goals in as many appearances and remarkably averages 3.8 shots per game, 3.0 key passes per game and 3.3 dribbles per game.
Right wing: Dani Olmo (Spain) - 7.91 rating
Dani Olmo wasn’t first choice for Spain heading into the tournament but he has grasped his opportunity with both hands and is now expected to start Sunday’s final against Germany. The 21-year-old has played a direct hand in three goals in as many appearances (two goals, one assist), with only two players averaging more shots per game than the Spaniard (4.3).
Striker: Gian-Luca Waldschmidt (Germany) - 8.75 rating
Germany striker Gian-Luca Waldschmidt is the highest WhoScored rated player in the tournament heading into Sunday’s final. The 23-year-old has scored in all four of Germany’s matches and has remarkably netted seven goals in the process. Not since the 2009 edition of the tournament has a player scored as many goals as Waldschmidt has managed this summer (Marcus Berg, Sweden) and he only needs one more to set an outright record in the competition.
