Fresh from a superb Premier League campaign, Aston Villa stars will have hoped to carry their momentum to their national teams this summer.
Four players from Unai Emery‘s squad were called up for this summer’s Euros, with Ollie Watkins and Ezri Konsa both making Gareth Southgate‘s England side.
John McGinn was also involved for Scotland while fellow midfielder Youri Tielemans was called up by Belgium.
Belgium secured their spot in the knockout stages with a goalless draw against Ukraine on Wednesday evening, but the third-ranked side in the world failed to impress during the group stage.
Aston Villa‘s Tielemans started in an all-Premier League midfield for Domenico Tedesco’s side but failed to stamp his authority on the clash.
Belgian media react to Youri Tielemans display at Euro 2024
Belgium have looked uninspiring at the Euros so far after opening their group with a shock defeat to Slovakia.
Tielemans scored Belgium’s first goal of the tournament in a 2-0 win over Romania, where he was lauded for his display.
Sporza hailed the 27-year-old midfielder as Belgium’s “missing link” following the Romania clash, but the assessment of his display against Ukraine was much more damning.
Voetbal Nieuws criticised the 27-year-old for playing an “anonymous game” after a “brilliant role against Romania.”
Voetbal Primeur gave Tielemans a five out of 10 rating for his performance with only Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard receiving a worse grade.
Youri Tielemans at Aston Villa next season
Tielemans proved to be a great addition to Villa’s squad last season and he will have a crucial role in Emery’s side again in the upcoming campaign.
With Champions League football on the horizon, he will have to shake the criticism from this summer and be prepared to perform on the biggest stage in club football.
Belgium’s squad is stacked with talent that is struggling to perform with Premier League stars such as Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku also struggling to shine for their nation, so Tielemans’ performances must be taken with a pinch of salt.
