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Five stars of the U21 European Championships: Carvalho, Silva, Younes, Lewicki, Vestergaard

PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC - JUNE 30:  Bernardo Silva (R) of Portugal battles for the ball with Oscar Lewicki (L) of Sweden
Image: Oscar Lewicki (l) and Bernardo Silva impressed at the U21 Euros

Sweden are U21 European champions - but who were the stars of the tournament in the Czech Republic? We pick out five top performers at the competition...

William Carvalho - Portugal

JUNE 27: William Carvalho (L) of Portugal and Emre Can of Germany battle for the ball during the UEFA European
Image: William Carvalho bossed the midfield for Portugal

William Carvalho may have missed the decisive penalty in the final shoot-out but his commanding performances for Portugal during the tournament set him apart.    

One of the most established players in the competition, at times Carvalho looked like a man among boys as he patrolled Portugal’s midfield, breaking up play and shielding the back four.

At 23 it must be noted that he is significantly older than most of the players at the tournament, but his displays as a defensive midfielder were still impressive.

He was twice named man of the match, including in the 5-0 semi-final demolition of Germany, and covered more ground than any other player in the group stages, even though at times his work looks effortless.

Even when faced with another more senior player in Germany’s Emre Can he looked a level above and comfortably came out on top against the Liverpool man.

The Sporting Lisbon star has been linked with a number of top European clubs, including Arsenal and Manchester United, and he has certainly done his chances of earning a move no harm with his dominant displays in the Czech Republic.

Bernardo Silva - Portugal

Bernardo Silva of Portugal celebrates scoring during the UEFA Under 21 European Championship 2015 semi final football match between Portugal and Germany
Image: Bernardo Silva was a key creator for Portugal

He may have come out on the losing side, but Silva was rightly named the player of the tournament after a brilliant couple of weeks.

The Monaco midfielder pulled the strings against England in the opening game before being named man of the match in the goalless draw against Italy.

His standout display, though, was in the semi-final against Germany when, like Carvalho, he looked in a different class.

The 20-year-old, who signed for Monaco from Benfica in January, sometimes appeared in the centre of the pitch to collect the ball and sometimes out on the wing, but was always looking to drive Portugal forward.

He also showed his quality for the opening goal, flicking the ball around the corner for a team-mate and then running on to the return pass before keeping his composure to finish.

Silva was well handled by Sweden in the final, but he was still undoubtedly the best No 10 and best player of the tournament.

Team-mates Jose Sa and Sergio Oliveira also deserve a mention for their excellent performances.

Amin Younes - Germany

PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC - JUNE 23: Amin Younes #19 of Germany and Onderj Petrak #6 of Czech Republic battle for the ball during the UEFA European Under-21
Image: Amin Younes showed he was a threat for Germany

Germany’s campaign may have ended in disappointing style, but many of their players still showed flashes of their potential in the Czech Republic.

Bayern Munich’s Josh Kimmich, Hoffenheim striker Kevin Volland, Liverpool’s Emre Can and Schalke youngster Max Meyer all caught the eye at times.

However, it was 21-year-old Amin Younes who probably looked the brightest prospect.

The Borussia Monchengladbach winger was particularly impressive in the 3-0 win over Denmark when he gave right-back Alexander Scholz a torrid time.

Younes, who spent last season on loan with Kaiserslautern in Bundesliga 2, also looked the most threatening German player in the defeat to Portugal, even though he was deployed on the right wing for most of the match rather than his favoured left.

While he hugged the touchline against the Danes and provided the cross for the third goal, against Portugal he regularly cut inside and went closest to scoring for Germany with a shot that was well saved by Jose Sa.

At just 5’6” he has a very low centre of gravity, which German goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen says makes him “extremely difficult to handle”.

The challenge now for Younes will be to get to grips with the Bundesliga for Monchengladbach.

Oscar Lewicki - Sweden

OLOMOUC, CZECH REPUBLIC - JUNE 21: Will Hughes of England battles Oscar Lewicki of Sweden during the UEFA Under21 European Championship 2015 match between
Image: Oscar Lewicki (r) helped Sweden to the title

While Carvalho and Silva pulled the strings for Portugal, defensive midfielder Lewicki was the lynchpin in a well-drilled and hard-working Sweden side.

The 22-year-old, who spent time with Bayern Munich as a youngster, was been an ever-present for Hakan Ericson's team throughout qualifying and also in the final stages in the Czech Republic.

He was named man of the match against Italy, looked solid in the narrow defeat to England and also performed well in the semi-final win over Denmark, when he had the most touches of any outfield player in his team.

Perhaps his biggest achievement, though, was keeping Silva quiet in the final and, along with captain Oscar Hiljemark, he made the Swedish team tick at the tournament.

He has also already been capped by the senior side and, for the many scouts watching him at the tournament, said earlier this month that it would be a “dream come true” to play in either England or Germany.

Jannik Vestergaard - Denmark

PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC - JUNE 27:  Jannik Vestergaard (R) of Denmark discuss with Isaac Kiese Thelin (L) of Sweden during UEFA U21 European Championship se
Image: Jannik Vestergaard (r) used his Bundesliga experience to help Denmark to the semis

Even though Denmark’s tournament ended with a heavy defeat to Sweden, centre-back and captain Jannick Vestegaard still comes out of it with credit.

At nearly two metres tall, the 22-year-old was an imposing presence at both ends of the pitch but also looked composed on the ball.

He showed that he is a goal threat by netting against Czech Republic and went close to adding to his tally in the semi-final loss, when he had more shots on goal than all but one of his team-mates.

With nearly 100 Bundesliga appearances under his belt, Westergaard was one of the more experienced campaigners at the European U21 Championship and it showed with his mature displays.

The defender, who joined Werder Bremen in January after four years with Hoffenheim, has already been called up for the senior side and should be set to win many more caps.

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