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DUTCH COURAGE

Who could have predicted that Denzel Dumfries would make Euro 2020 his playground?

International tournaments are always improved when the Netherlands are involved.

The Dutch are natural entertainers and have started Euro 2020 in fine form with wins over Ukraine and Austria.

As yet unhindered by Virgil van Dijk’s absence, Frank de Boer’s side have secured a spot in the round of 16.

Not only that, other results mean the Oranje are certain to finish top of Group C no matter what happens in the next round of fixtures.

Who doesn’t love a surprise package?

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Who doesn’t love a surprise package?

At the time of writing, Denzel Dumfries (£3.0m) is the overall top scorer in Dream Team Euros having amassed 22 points.

The marauding wing-back headed the dramatic winner in Holland’s end-to-end thriller with Ukraine and ensured victory against Austria with a simple tap-in after a selfless square ball from Donyell Malen.

And it was Dumfries who won the penalty for Netherlands’ opener in their second fixture, in which he also claimed an additional five points for a clean sheet.

The PSV representative’s success has been a pleasant surprise – even now he only appears in 3.9% of teams.

As the outright frontrunner in Dream Team Euros after seven days, he will surely enjoy a boost in popularity before he next takes to the field.

Dumfries has scored two goals at Euro 2020 already

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Dumfries has scored two goals at Euro 2020 already

Netherlands play North Macedonia in their final group game before facing off against one of the best third-place finishers.

Attacking defenders are worth their weight in gold in Dream Team Euros. Leonardo Spinazzola, Thomas Meunier and Raphael Guerreiro have provided healthy returns but Dumfries reigns supreme right now.

De Boer’s 3-4-1-2 formation requires to the wing-backs to bomb forward and provide width.

Dumfries’ pace, directness and stamina have made him a constant threat going forward at Euro 2020 so far and while there are other teams who seem more sound defensively, any wingers masquerading as defenders are going to be of interest to Dream Team Euros managers.