Almost a century ago when the Axis powers led by Germany were ruthlessly marching into the Allied forces led by the United Kingdom supported by France, this small nation became a neutral battlefield and quite evidently, it did not have a significant amount of power of its own. A century later, the war is heating up on the football pitches and as Russia braces itself to become the hosts, this nation is no longer a weak one but it’s quite popularly termed as the ‘dark horses’, boasting an exquisitely powerful army of its own. Belgium is the nation I am talking about, a nation which has featured in the world cup on twelve occasions but this year of 2018 will arguably be it’s biggest ever chance of putting up a brave show with its golden generation shaping up the team.
The two previous events, namely, the World Cup of 2014 and the Euro Cup of 2016 saw Belgium crash out in the quarterfinals each time losing to Argentina and Wales respectively. Wilmots was given the red-light and an experienced but an unexpected manager named Roberto Martinez was hired.
Amassing a wealthy amount of points that is 28 in their qualification race to make Russia, Belgium announced to the world that this time they shouldn’t be taken lightly. They drew only one game in ten and won the other nine. Even though the team is young, Belgium boasts of some incredible players who are richly experienced. No team will be taking them for granted.
Formation
Like several other managers, Martinez has not hesitated in experimenting with his team. He has three of the top centre-backs of the world supported by good full-backs. Belgium like several other teams are expected to play with a back-three with the formation being 3-4-2-1. There is an abundance of flexibility in the squad through which Martinez can change dynamics. Players such as Jan Vertonghen, Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Dries Mertens and Yannick Carrasco can adapt to a switched formation in case that’s needed at any point of the game.
Predicted Lineup
As pointed out earlier, Belgium will play 3-4-2-1 and even though Martinez has experimented with a back-four, this formation should be his primary one. Kevin De Bruyne will provide immense flexibility in the midfield and the back-three will provide a solid base for the Red Devils to build and get forward upon. A very reliable keeper Thibaut Courtois will provide extra protection as well. Romelu Lukaku has been one of the best players in the Manchester United jersey after a steady start and he will lead the line followed by Eden Hazard who provided sparks after having been played in a rigid formation under Antonio Conte at Chelsea.
Belgium should provide him with more freedom and more chances to excel and exploit. Dries Mertens had a crazy season under Sarri and eyes will be on him as well. Backup players like Moussa Dembele, Marouane Fellaini and Thomas Vermaelen provide a bedrock of experience and somewhere they might get involved too.
Key Players
There are five key-players of this team and they remain Belgium’s best bet at moving forward in the tournament. The third best team in the world will rely on Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard, Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen massively. Vertonghen has enjoyed a commendable season with Tottenham Hotspur and has emerged as a very prominent leader while Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard have fared above the decent mark. Kevin De Bruyne, however, has enjoyed his best season with Manchester City, playing some flamboyant football under Pep Guardiola and the Reds would hope that he brings that to the table this time. Toby Alderweireld suffered a heart-breaking injury but he has shown in the past that on his day, he is one of the Premier League’s best defender and Belgium would be banking on that.
Prediction:-
Belgium have a strong chance of topping their group ahead of England, Tunisia and Panama but if Martinez’s team drops their consistency, anything can happen. They are most likely to meet Colombia or Poland or Senegal in the round of 16 but the biggest challenge should emerge in the quarter-finals as they are pitted to clash against Brazil. Quarter-finals if the best prediction for this team but on their day, they can punch above anyone.
