Four Standout Players From Spain's Perfect Start To Euro 2025

Spain's pursuit of a first women's European crown has sewage disconnected to nan cleanable commencement successful Switzerland.

Three wins, 9 points and 14 goals scored - they person swept past Portugal, Belgium and Italy pinch comparative easiness to apical Group B and large wind into nan quarter-finals.

In a Spanish broadside bursting pinch talent, which players person stood out?

Having missed nan Euros successful 2022 aft she suffered an anterior cruciate ligament wounded connected nan eve of nan tournament, Alexia Putellas has been making up for mislaid clip connected nan European stage.

The Barcelona midfielder won back-to-back player-of-the-match awards acknowledgment to stellar performances successful nan 5-0 triumph complete Portugal and nan 6-2 triumph against Belgium, scoring 3 goals and assisting 3 much crossed nan 2 games.

She added different 2 assists successful nan 3-1 triumph against Italy to adjacent nan grounds for group-stage extremity involvements by a azygous subordinate - group 3 years agone by England's Beth Mead.

Not only does Putellas rank first for nonstop extremity involvements, but she's created much chances per 90 minutes (five) than immoderate different subordinate astatine Euro 2025.

"She is conscionable intolerable to take sides against," erstwhile Scotland skipper Rachel Corsie told BBC Sport.

"She is truthful bully successful possession, she's sewage truthful overmuch awareness, she benignant of looks for illustration she's playing successful slow mobility but she's really conscionable truthful successful control.

"I deliberation nan only measurement to extremity her is to limit nan shot getting to her because erstwhile she has it, she's conscionable truthful dangerous."

Part of a trio made up of Putellas and Aitana Bonmati, who some are two-time Ballon d'Or winners, Patri's activity astatine nan guidelines of Spain's - and Barcelona's - midfield often goes unnoticed.

But nan 27-year-old "runs nan show" according to Corsie, who added: "She's nan one... you spot she starts everything, she controls nan tempo, she chooses erstwhile they settee nan crippled down."

Spain leader Montse Tome said she believes Patri is nan "best subordinate successful her position".

"It's not an easy position because it's not good recognised from nan extracurricular and I judge her personality, she is humble, she is simply a difficult worker and this intends Aitana [Bonmati], Alexia [Putellas], Vicky [Lopez], Mariona [Caldentey] and [Claudia] Pina play much freely and Patri is cardinal for that."

Asked astir Tome's comments, Patri said: "I consciousness ace happy and ace proud knowing nan coach said that astir me.

"For nan crippled exemplary we have, midfielders person to participate because past everything flows and nan squad feels confident."

As good arsenic mounting nan gait and freeing up abstraction for her team-mates, Patri proved she's sewage an oculus for goal, pinch a drilled decorativeness giving Spain nan lead against Italy.

At conscionable 18, Vicky Lopez is already enjoying an awesome nine profession pinch Barcelona. Now she's making her people for Spain.

With head Tome choosing not to commencement Bonmati for Spain's first 2 games aft her bout of viral meningitis, Lopez was picked arsenic her replacement.

In La Roja's opener against Portugal, Lopez scored aft 8 minutes, had different effort saved and linked up superbly pinch Putellas and Pina.

She was afforded little clip against Belgium arsenic Bonmati came connected astatine half-time, but moreover successful 45 minutes Lopez made an effect - mounting up Putellas for their opener and forcing a goalline clearance.

"She plays arsenic if she had 10 years of experience," Putellas said astir nan teen aft nan Portugal game.

Her flare and fearlessness pinch nan shot has caught nan attraction of fans and pundits, completing 5.1 dribbles per 90 minutes - 2nd to only to Germany's Klara Buhl (6.2).

Corsie said: "Her expertise 1 v one, she's awesome near aliases correct foot, really tricky and besides has awesome awareness."

Esther Gonzalez whitethorn not beryllium nan best-known sanction successful a Spanish squad afloat of stars, but pinch 36 goals successful 53 games for her country, she's a prolific goalscorer.

Leading nan tournament's scoring charts pinch 4 goals, it took nan 32-year-old conscionable 87 seconds to unfastened her relationship astatine nan Euros pinch a terrific flicked volley against Portugal.

She grabbed a 2nd pinch a poacher's decorativeness from adjacent range, she demonstrated ruthlessness for her objective onslaught against Belgium, while she was successful nan correct spot astatine nan correct clip for a poked decorativeness from adjacent scope against Italy.

"One of nan things I deliberation she does astir efficaciously is she's ever connected nan backmost shoulder," Corsie said.

"She's truthful bully astatine conscionable creating an other gait for herself by ever trying to play disconnected nan shoulder, knowing that if nan shot goes wide and past gets delivered into nan box, she'll ever person an other gait connected you."

Gonzalez is averaging 2.3 goals each 90 minutes - much than immoderate different subordinate who has played complete 100 minutes astatine Euro 2025.

"Esther is playing astatine an fantabulous level astatine each levels," Tome said of nan Gotham FC striker.

"She has immoderate what you whitethorn request from a tactical constituent of position because of her acquisition and pinch her energy. "