Real Madrid: Three takeaways from David Alaba’s Euro 2020 performance

Austria’s historic Euro 2020 campaign ended in agony as they got knocked out by Italy in the Round of 16 at Wembley. This was an engrossing tournament for Austrian supporters, as they achieved their first-ever win in a Euro match against North Macedonia, followed by another victory against Ukraine in the 3rd group stage match. This resulted in their first-ever entry into knockout stages.

Evidently, their captain, and new Real Madrid signing, David Alaba had a big say in their achievements. Alaba was strong in all departments and showed great leadership qualities on the pitch. He provided much-needed security in Austria’s backline and made vital contributions to the attack.

Here we take a look at the three takeaways from David Alaba’s performance in the tournament.

Leadership

David Alaba showed a great deal of authority in all the matches. He is the worthy captain of Austria and an absolute leader at the back.

Alaba orchestrated the gameplay from the back and regularly gave instructions to his fellow mates. He was seen constantly talking and cheering his teammates. His calm and composed gameplay always made him a safe passing option.

One particular highlight of Alaba’s leadership was seen when he tried to restrict and calm down Marko Arnautović, who angrily reacted to North Macedonia supporters after scoring the third goal in their first match.

With the arrival of Alaba in Real Madrid, the club now has four national team captains. The other three being Modric, Bale, and Hazard. Alaba’s presence in the backline will ensure that the absence of Sergio Ramos will not be as gravely missed, and this statement in itself is a big compliment for Alaba.