Arsenal star William Saliba was again outstanding at Euro 2024 as he helped France reach the semi-finals of the tournament.
France drew 0-0 with Portugal in a game in which both attacking sides struggled, but the defenders thrived, before a Joao Felix miss consigned Roberto Martinez’s side to a penalty shootout defeat.
Saliba has been outstanding for France at Euro 2024, having forced his way into Didier Deschamps’ plans, with the manager previously criticising him and hinting that he would be benched.
The 23-year-old, who helped Arsenal form the best defence in the Premier League, was s praised by fans for his dominant display as he kept Cristiano Ronaldo quiet, and the French media have raved about his performance in the quarter-final.
William Saliba praised by French media after Euro 2024 masterclass
FranceTVinfo gave Saliba an 8/10 rating, but claimed that his vision and ability to spot danger was “perfect” against Portugal.
“Simply excellent. Perfect in reading trajectories and in coverage, to the point that we wondered if Cristiano Ronaldo was indeed on the pitch,” they stated.
“He was warned but could not do much better to intervene on Francisco Conceicao.”
La Depeche gave him a 7/10 rating, highlighting the yellow card he took for a challenge on the dangerous Franciso Conceicao as the only negative moment.
“He proved his ease in the duels by winning in front of Ronaldo then Vitinha in the area. He was caught by Conceiçao and collected a yellow, but was strong in a team which has only conceded one goal since the start of the Euros,” they pointed out.
William Saliba’s monstrous display in France vs Portugal
Saliba’s composure on the ball was remarkable, as he completed 48 of his 49 attempted passes, and even created a chance as he pushed forward.
Defensively, he did not get dribbled past once, but he was forced into a foul on Conceicao late on to prevent the winger from attacking the box, and he took the yellow card.
Ronaldo could not find a way past Saliba, whose blend of calmness and rugged defending has made him one of the best centre-backs in Europe, and his performances on the International stage are now highlighting his maturity beyond his years as well as his supreme technical ability.
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