Euro 2016: Round of 16 XI featuring Chelsea and Manchester City stars

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Right-Midfield: Xherdan Shaqiri (Switzerland)

The Stoke City man was at the heart of all the Swiss attacking when they went forward as they exited Euro 2016 on penalties against Poland. He was a live-wire throughout and a constant menace down the right side.

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Already the stand-out player on the pitch in terms of creativity, he capped his performance with a strike that may well win goal of the tournament and will be talked about for years to come: a superb overhead kick eight minutes from time which kept the Swiss in the contest, forcing extra-time before their eventual exit in the penalty shootout.

Centre-Midfield: Toni Kroos (Germany)

The Real Madrid playmaker was instrumental in Germany’s central-midfield in their dismantling of Slovakia. Kroos played 96 passes, more than any other Germany player, with 79 coming in the Slovak half of the pitch.

He played a deeper role than usual in this match but was Germany’s midfield maestro, pulling all of the strings from deep, but still managed four attempts on goal. Kroos has shown his consistency this tournament for Die Mannschaft,
and will need to keep doing so if Germany are to get the better of Italy in the quarter-finals.

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Left-Midfield: Eden Hazard (Belgium)

Putting a disappointing 2014-15 campaign with Chelsea behind him, Eden Hazard looked much more like his mercurial self in Belgium’s 4-0 demolition of Hungary in Toulouse. He shone throughout the contest on the left-flank, putting the gloss on his performance with a superb solo goal having cut in from the left side, breezing past two defenders and firing low into the keeper’s bottom left corner.

Hazard was one of Belgium’s more potent performers in the game, terrorising bewildered right-back Adam Lang all game and assisting Michu Batshuayi before getting on the score-sheet himself. He led by example, making the highest number of passes with 48, and looking once more like he is back at his potent best; he will surely be one of Belgium’s biggest threats in their quarter-final tie in Lille against Wales.