Ibrahim Afellay is the only Barça player at Euro 2012 who won’t be involved in the knock out stages, whilst Cesc Fabregas figures amongst the tournament’s top scorers. Let’s hope Spain will be one of the Euro 2012 Finalists.
The group stage of the Euro 2012 Tournament is over for the Barça players and seven of them – with the Spanish team-will be involved in the quarter finals. Only Holland’s Ibrahim Afellay will be coming home early after the Dutch failed to take a single point and finished bottom of Group C.
Below are the Barça players’ stats from the Tournament so far:
• Piqué. 270 minutes played. A first choice throughout for Del Bosque, he has played at the heart of a defence, alongside Ramos, with Arbeola and Jordi Alba at full back, which has so far conceded just a single goal.
• Sergio Busquets. 270 minutes played. Along with Piqué, Busquets is the only Barça player to have played every minute so far and is key to the defensive midfield alongside Xabi Alonso. He’s been fouled eight times and against Croatia came close to scoring.
• Xavi. 269 minutes played. The team’s playmaker and another first choice starter, Xavi sets the pace for the Spanish team, as well as being their free kick taker. He’s had five shots on target and only missed the last few minutes of the Croatia game, when Del Bosque took him off with the lead already established.
• Iniesta. 260 minutes played. Spain’s best player so far, the team’s leader in attack and the player with the second highest number of attempts on goal in the tournament (10), just behind Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo (13). Set up the winning goal against Croatia.
• Cesc. 107 minutes played. Started against Italy and came on off the bench against Italy and Ireland. The most effective player in the team, averaging a goal every 53 minutes, Cesc is one of the leading scorers in the tournament so far. His goal as a false number 9 against Italy gave Spain the point and he got the fourth against Ireland. Against Croatia, he was involved in the winning goal.
• Valdés. Yet to play.
• Pedro. Yet to play.
• Afellay. 140 minutes played. Started against Denmark and Germany and came on in the second half against Portugal, Afellay was one of Holland’s most exciting attackers in a side who generally disappointed.