EURO 2024 Team of the Last 16: Spanish midfield dominates once again
We saw plenty of the favourites advance as well as a couple of dark horses in Switzerland and Turkey, with several top performances across all eight games.
The nominations are picked solely based on the Flashscore player ratings system, which is based on several statistics that you can learn more about here.
GK: Diogo Costa, 8.3 (Portugal)
Portugal defeated Slovenia on penalties, following a 0-0 draw across 90 minutes and extra time.
Goalkeeper Diogo Costa was the hero of the evening, saving all three Slovenian penalties in the shootout.
He also put in a solid showing throughout the rest of the game with two saves from both of Slovenia's attempts on target.
DEF: Joao Cancelo, 8.7 (Portugal)
Joao Cancelo played almost the entire match against Slovenia and put in a tireless display on the right-hand side of defence, making five clearances, four tackles and one interception.
He also had a solid impact going forward after putting in five crosses and completing six dribbles, contributing to Portugal's general dominance throughout the match.
DEF: Nico Schlotterbeck, 8.2 (Germany)
Nico Schlotterbeck bagged an assist in Germany's 2-0 win against Denmark, spraying an excellent pass from his own half to send Jamal Musiala through on goal to score.
The defender also played his part in the German's second clean sheet of the tournament, making six clearances, two interceptions and one tackle - performing well on his first start at Euro 2024.
DEF: Merih Demiral, 9.6 (Turkey)
Turkey needed a hero in their cagey last-16 match with Austria, and defender Merih Demiral stepped up with two goals to see them advance against a tricky opponent via a 2-1 victory.
The Austrians came into the game after an impressive win against the Netherlands, and they had been one of the best-performing teams at the tournament.
His rating of 9.6 is the best of any player in the knockout stages so far.
DEF: Nuno Mendes, 8.9 (Portugal)
Another Portuguese full-back, Nuno Mendes was equally as effective as his counterpart Cancelo and picked up an 8.9 rating - the highest of any player in their game against Slovenia.
Mendes played the full 120 minutes and had a big influence on Portugal's attacking play, having 131 touches and making one key pass.
He was also reliable when called upon defensively and helped his side keep their second clean sheet at Euro 2024.
MID: Pedri, 8.3 (Spain)
Pedri is the first of a trio of Spanish centre midfielders who shone in their 4-1 win against underdogs Georgia.
After initially going behind early in the match, the Spaniards went on to dominate the game which was mainly down to three top performances in their midfield.
Despite only playing 52 minutes, the Barcelona playmaker made four key passes and was a vital component in Spain's control of the match.
MID: Rodri, 8.5 (Spain)
As always, Rodri was there to answer the call when his team needed a goal.
The midfielder popped up with the initial equaliser for Spain towards the end of the first half, receiving the ball on the edge of the box before arrowing an effort into the bottom corner.
Rodri also performed his usual midfield role as expected, touching the ball 119 times and making 109 passes across 90 minutes.
MID: Fabian Ruiz, 8.9 (Spain)
The surprise package of Spain's midfield so far has been Fabian Ruiz, who once again was their top performer in the win against Georgia.
Ruiz got a goal and an assist during their last 16 tie, first getting on the end of a cross to head in at the back post before spraying a delightful ball for Nico Williams to run on to and convert.
Ruiz has been one of the heroes of Euro 2024 so far and put in another player of the match showing, earning an 8.9 rating.
FWD: Ruben Vargas, 8.4 (Switzerland)
Switzerland picked up a huge 2-0 win against reigning champions Italy, announcing themselves as serious contenders after completely dominating their opponents.
Ruben Vargas was at the centre of their impressive performance, first setting up Remo Freuler with a clever cross before scoring himself with a fantastic curling effort past Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The forward is part of a very dangerous Swiss attack and could be one to watch in their remaining matches at Euro 2024.
FWD: Donyell Malen, 9.4 (Netherlands)
Donyell Malen came off the bench to score twice for the Dutch in their 3-0 win over Romania.
The forward was introduced at the start of the second half and would net two goals in the remaining 10 minutes of the match to seal progression for the Netherlands.
His second particularly caught the eye, picking the ball up and running through the Romania half before coming inside and firing a lovely effort into the bottom corner.
FWD: Nico Williams, 8.4 (Spain)
Rounding off our side is another Spain player, Nico Williams, who contributed a goal and assist in their 4-1 win over Georgia.
He initially set up Rodri's equaliser, then worked his way into the box from a superb Ruiz pass and fired into the top corner later in the game.
Williams also had a decent creative impact outside of his assist, making four key passes as he continued to show why he has been one of Euro 2024's standout players so far.
