With Ukraine’s 0-0 draw against Belgium, they became the first team in the 24-team era of the European Championship to be eliminated despite earning 4 points. Dovbyk’s European Championship ended in disappointment. However, Dovbyk is not alone. This European Championship has been a nightmare for the top five scorers in La Liga. Lewandowski and Budimir have both been eliminated, Sørloth missed out, and Bellingham is the only lucky one to have reached the Round of 16, but he has not escaped criticism.
In the recently concluded 23/24 La Liga season, Dovbyk finished as the top scorer with 24 goals, successfully surpassing the two superstars Bellingham and Lewandowski. He became the first La Liga Golden Boot winner since Fernando Torres who wasn’t from Real Madrid, Barcelona, or Atlético Madrid. Additionally, his 24 goals tied the record set by Andriy Shevchenko, making him a rising star.
However, Dovbyk’s performance at the European Championship has been extremely disappointing. He has been hesitant on the field, repeatedly pondering his existence. In three matches, he averaged 82 minutes per game but failed to score or assist. Despite Ukraine’s best efforts to earn 4 points, they finished fourth in Group E due to an inferior goal difference, missing out on qualification and returning home early.
Before Dovbyk’s elimination, Lewandowski had already tasted the bitterness of defeat. In the first group stage match, Lewandowski missed due to injury, and Poland, after taking the lead, were shockingly reversed by the Netherlands. In the second round, although Lewandowski came on as a substitute, Poland was again defeated by Austria 1-3. They suffered two consecutive defeats and, due to the inferior head-to-head record, were eliminated from the group stage in the first round, becoming the first team to be eliminated.
In the final group stage match, Lewandowski scored a penalty, matching Kylian Mbappé, helping Poland draw 1-1 against France, but it had no practical significance.
Budimir, ranked fifth in the La Liga top scorer list, hasn’t fared any better. Although he contributed 17 goals for Mallorca last season, the 32-year-old Croatian striker has shown signs of fatigue at this European Championship, missing several scoring opportunities. Ultimately, the Croatian national team only managed to gain 2 points from 3 games, failing to advance to the Round of 16.
As they say, there are winners and losers. Bellingham emerged as the only lucky one. The Real Madrid star, valued at €1.8 billion, advanced to the knockout stages with England as group leaders and successfully avoided the upper half bracket which includes Germany, France, Portugal, and Spain. However, Bellingham’s personal performance was disappointing. He only scored one goal in three matches and was criticized by fans for being too showy, leaving his teammates like Foden, Kane, Saka, and Rice in a state of disarray.
In the last group stage match against Slovenia, Bellingham lost possession 16 times in the entire game, the highest in the team. The great British No. 10 was immediately drowned out by criticism, as people believed that Carlo Ancelotti and Real Madrid had elevated him to a level he didn’t deserve.
Of course, these four might not be the most unfortunate. Sørloth, who scored four goals against Real Madrid last season and finished second in the La Liga top scorer list with 23 league goals, is in a helpless position. As Norway failed to qualify for the tournament, he, like Haaland, can only watch the European Championship on television.
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