Euro 2020 is already beyond it s mid-way point. With the group stages now concluded, 36 of its 51 games have been played.
As such, now is as good a time as any to take stock of what we ve seen so far, and note the biggest stars and surprise performers at this summer s
European Championship.
Goran Pandev (North Macedonia)
Bowing out of international football by debuting in a tournament, Pandev scored in a 3-1 loss to Austria that made him the second oldest goalscorer in the tournament s history. He hung up his international boots with 122 caps and 38 goals.
Raheem Sterling (England)
The Three Lions have had a number of impressive players so far, but Sterling has made more of a difference than any of them. In his first 45 games for his country he scored just two goals, but has hit 14 in his last 19, with two coming in 1-0 wins at this tournament against Croatia and the Czech Republic.
Romelu Lukaku has already explained Chelsea transfer decision amid talk of £103m return football.london - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from football.london Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Dark, foreboding skies over Valdebebas warned Madrid that this would not be easy. The football world poured cold water over Perez’s planned European Super League, and the heavens opened to do the same to his team. This wasn’t the kind of making it rain that the Madrid president had been hoping for when he launched his pet project.
Madrid have shown plenty of swagger in 2021, most impressively of all in their 3-1 win over Liverpool in the last eight but, in recent weeks, their workload has taken a toll on them.
With over 50 injuries this season, Zinedine Zidane has been left with a threadbare group at times, and key players have not been able to rest.
Champions League semi-final: Karim Benzema earns Real Madrid draw against Chelsea
By Phil McNultyBBC Sport
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Karin Benzema s 71st Champions League goal makes him the joint-fourth highest scorer in the competition
Chelsea produced a composed performance to secure a fully deserved draw and a crucial away goal to put themselves in a promising position after their Champions League semi-final first leg against Real Madrid.
Thomas Tuchel s side were superior on the night and might even regard themselves as unfortunate not to take an advantage into the return at Stamford Bridge in eight days time as they set their sights on a final date against either Manchester City or Paris St-Germain in Istanbul on 29 May.
Top Winners, Losers After Tuesday's Champions League Semifinal Leg 1 Results bleacherreport.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bleacherreport.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.