Jordi Alba

Even with the likes of Cesar Azpilicueta, Nacho Monreal, and Juan Bernat all vying for his position, Jordi Alba will once again be featured in Vincente del Bosque’s squad for the Euro Cup. One of the premier left backs in the sport, Alba’s skill and speed will be used to produce timely runs down the left flank. However, at times he plays more like a winger than a back. Alba consistently plays forward, at times creating holes in the defense. His chemistry with fellow teammates Andrés Iniesta and Sergio Busquets should help create quick 1-2 passing attacks. With 9 assists and 1 goal to his name this season, Alba has again been consistent in his form. Alba played masterfully for Spain in their European Championship victory in 2012. However, like the rest of his teammates, Alba played uninspired football as Spain crashed out of the group stage in Rio. No doubt Spain is going to be looking to make a statement in the European Championship, as they were embarrassed by the Netherlands, a team not even going to be present this summer, 5-1. Watch out for the play of the Spanish national team and Jordi Alba in particular.

Other Players:

Starters:

Forwards: Zlatan Ibrahimović

Midfielders: Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modrić, Dimitri Payet, Robbie Keane, Arda Turan

Defenders:  Vlad Chiricheș, Ashley Williams, Taulant Xhaka

Goalkeeper: The Gianluigi Buffon

Substitutes:

Forwards: Eden Hazard, Jakub Błaszczykowski

Midfielders: Mesut Özil, Yevhen Konoplyanka, Gökhan Inler, James Milner, Balázs Dzsudzsák

Sources:

http://www.goal.com/en-us/people/spain/22282/jordi-alba/transfers?ICID=PP_22282

http://www.football-espana.net/57788/euro-2016-squad-selector-jordi-alba

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordi_Alba

 

Written By: Austin Tran and Chris Arora

How to cite this article: “Euro 2016 Key Players to Watch” Written by Austin Tran and Chris Arora (2016), European Cup 2016 Guide, Soccer Politics Blog, Duke University, http://sites.duke.edu/wcwp/tournament-guides/european-cup-2016-guide/ (accessed on (date)).