Barcelona's Thomas Vermaelen: Dominant defensive showing versus Ireland

Vermaelen won four tackles, made five interceptions and helped keep a clean sheet during Saturday's 3-0 win over Ireland.

Analysis:

Vermaelen was a forgotten man after seeing little playing time at the club level over the last couple of seasons, but he caught the eye with a dominant defensive showing to help his side bounce back from a poor opening match. He is entrenched as a starter in the center of defense for the Red Devils and will look to maintain his current form in Wednesday's match versus Sweden.