Belgium once again confirmed how easy the qualifiers can be. They finished top of Group F with 20 points from eight matches and remained unbeaten against Austria, Azerbaijan, Estonia and Sweden. Manager Domenico Tedesco were rarely troubled, further proof that in the last decade, Belgium have become very apt at defeating smaller teams, who often play in a low block. The Red Devils last lost a European qualifier in 2015, against Wales, 1-0.
Tournament record
Belgium are a regular at World Cup finals, but that’s not the case for the European championship. It is Belgium’s third consecutive participation in the continental finals and sixth overall. At Euro 1980, they achieved their best result ever, finishing as runners-up after West Germany’s Horst Hrubesch got the better of them in the final.
Belgium’s participation in the last European championship was a major disappointment when they crashed out in the last eight against the eventual champions. In a 2-1 victory, Italy schooled Belgium, demonstrating great efficiency and tactical application.
Star Man
Kevin De Bruyne
Following the retirement of Eden Hazard, De Bruyne is the undisputed star. The midfield maestro makes all the difference with his vision, gossamer passing and experience. He plays in a number ten role behind striker Romelu Lukaku, with whom he has an excellent rapport. His acceleration and drives inject the team with rhythm and open up opponents. His performance in Germany will be vital to Belgium’s fortunes.
The Manager
Domenico Tedesco succeeded Roberto Martinez after the Spaniard had overstayed his welcome. The German debuted with a spectacular 3-2 away win against his native country in Cologne. The manager introduced younger players but fell out with Thibaut Courtois, arguably the best goalkeeper in the world, over the captain’s armband. Businesslike and somewhat aloof, Tedesco is a clear communicator. He belongs to a generation of managers who attach importance to data. At club level, he had spells with Schalke 04, Spartak Moscow and RB Leipzig.
What can we expect
This is the first time since 2014 that Belgium will travel to a major finals with muted expectations. The so-called ‘golden generation’ is rapidly fading out of view and it’s a time of transition for a team that for a decade had enormous potential but, bar a bronze medal at the 2018 World Cup, never matched expectations.
Following the omission of Thibaut Courtois from the squad, Koen Casteels will serve as number one. The defence is considered the Achilles heel of the team and Tedesco sprung a surprise in his final squad by including the aging Axel Witsel.
The 35-year-old had an impressive season at Atletico Madrid and brings tons of experience, but is he truly the solution to Belgium’s backline?
Further upfield, Kevin De Bruyne orchestrates play and Lukaku provides the goals. Jeremy Doku’s pace and dribbles cannot be discounted.
In their final two friendlies, Belgium registered modest wins against both Montenegro and Luxembourg. They will need to step up their game come the opening match against Slovakia but should navigate the group stage with relative ease. With a bit of good fortune, a spot in the last eight is not beyond this team.
Schedule
Monday, June 17 – Belgium – Slovakia
Venue: Frankfurt Arena, Frankfurt, 6 pm
Saturday, June 22 – Belgium – Romania
Venue: Cologne Stadium, Cologne, 9 pm
Wednesday, 26, June – Ukraine – Belgium
Venue: Stuttgart Stadium, Stuttgart, 6 pm