FRENCH newspaper L’Equipe gave Bukayo Saka a FOUR for his performance against Germany, despite praise from the British media.
The sport publication is notorious for its brutal playing ratings, giving five England players a generous 7/10 for their efforts against the 2014 world champions.
Jordan Pickford, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Raheem Sterling and Kalvin Phillips were the only Englishmen to receive a 7/10 from L’Equipe.
Kyle Walker, John Stones and Kieran Trippier all got a 6/10, while Harry Kane and Declan Rice were both given a 5/10.
L’Equipe’s verdict on Saka seems harsh, with SunSport giving him a 6/10 for his efforts.
The Guardian also gave the Arsenal star a 6/10, while Sky Sports thought he deserved a 7/10 for causing the Germans problems in the first half.
And the British public certainly don’t agree with the French newspaper’s opinion, with Saka receiving a 7.04/10 rating in a BBC poll – behind only Raheem Sterling, Jack Grealish and Jordan Pickford.
The 19-year-old was superb against Czech Republic in his tournament debut, picking up the Star of the Match award for his efforts.
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And Saka can take some solace in L’Equipe’s opinion of Germany’s performance against England.
Defender Mats Hummels was the only player to be given a 6/10, with Thomas Muller and Timo Werner both receiving a 2/10 for being wasteful in front of goal.
L’Equipe are known for their harsh player ratings, with Harry Kane getting just a 4/10 for his performance against Czech Republic.
Perhaps their most brutal assessment of the tournament so far was France’s defeat to Switzerland – giving three French players a 2/10 and Uefa’s Star of the Match Granit Xhaka a 6/10.
Despite the newspaper’s verdict, Saka will remain a key part of manager Gareth Southgate’s plans as England try to become European champions for the first time.
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