Back with another scouting report from the U21 Euros, and today is possibly the CB that impressed me the most in this tournament: Oliver Provstgaard. Now if you had just been following along with the tournament on an app like Fotmob or Whoscored to check match ratings, you will miss a lot of great defender performances. These types of match ratings heavily favour defensive actions / goal contributions, and as we know, a CB can play a great game without needing to make many defensive actions due to good positioning. This was the case for Provstgaard.

Captaining this Denmark side in the tournament after moving to Lazio in January from Velje, Provstgaard has all the makings of a top top CB. Standing at 194cm tall with a strong build, he does not require much physical development to make it to the top. In terms of his mentality at a young age, it is perfect. His attitude, determination, concentration, leadership, focus and communication were at a very high level throughout the matches he played, never dropping focus late on. I honestly haven’t seen a CB remain so ready to make a play when the ball isn’t near them, for this entire match when the ball was upfield, Provstgaard remained in an athletic crouched stance, facing the side of the pitch, ready to make a run back or step up when needed. I never saw him walking around the pitch upright when the ball was not near him.

Physically, Provstgaard also looks ready to play at the top level against fully grown professionals. His pace, mobility, and strength were better than almost every other CB in this tournament. He has the bravery to complement his physical characteristics, and is unlikely to be physically dominated by an opposing striker.

Tactically, Provstgaard is an elite box defender, and has very strong positional and game sense. He regularly was in position to clear a cross before it reached an attacker, or to win the aerial duel on a high cross. In this tournament, Provstgaard won the majority of his tackles, averaging 7 defensive actions per match compared to only 1 foul conceded per match. He does not recklessly dive into tackles, and plays a very smart defensive game.

On the ball, Provstgaard has the potential to be a very good ball playing CB. At the U21 Euro, he averaged 3.7 successful long balls per match, which fits my eye test of noticing that he can play a very good long diagonal ball to switch play or release a winger in attack. His overall pass accuracy at the tournament was 88%, showing that he does like to try a long ball. He was never dispossessed while on the ball, and looked calm in possession. On set pieces, his aerial presence provides a considerable threat.

Overall, Oliver Provstgaard looks to be headed right to the very top, and should be primed for a breakout season at Lazio this year if he gets the game time. I believe it is almost a certainty that he will become a regular for the Danish senior team in the future, and has the potential to play for a top European club challenging for the Champions League. He does not have any major weaknesses, and likely just requires a bit of belief from his manager to continue his impressive development. One of the best prospects I saw at the U21 Euro, and certainly One to Watch.