World Soccer - UK (2019-10)

BELGIUM TURN

ON THE GOALS

T

he outstanding team of the

qualifying campaign, Belgium

have recorded six straight

victories, are top scorers with

19 goals and have conceded just once.

And although Roberto Martinez’s side

face a potentially tricky game away to

second-placed Russia in November,

automatic qualification should have

been secured by then.

With the exception of Marouane

Fellaini, who announced his international

retirement, and the injured Vincent

Kompany, Martinez has relied on the

same players who reached the 2018

World Cup semi-finals, and Fellaini’s

absence has offered more opportunities

for younger talent.

“Leander Dendoncker and Youri

Tielemans showed that there are many

younger players waiting to make the

breakthrough,” says Martinez. “They have

learnt a lot over the last year and played

as if they were long-standing regulars.

“Their performances send out a clear

message for Belgian football. They are

two players who earned their stripes in

Belgian football and only then moved to

clubs outside the country.”

While the goals have been spread

around the squad, with 10 different

players on the scoresheet, Romelu

Lukaku has been the team’s top scorer

with four goals so far.

“This is the first time I have seen him

free and happy,” says Martinez of the

player who has joined Internazionale this

season. “Going back to many camps, I

have not seen Rom so focused, so happy,

so refreshed by the new challenge.

“I think he is now ready to face one of

the biggest footballing chapters in his

career with the Inter move. He is very

driven to be as good as he can for the

national team. I have been very impressed

with his happiness and the way he is

looking forward to the football ahead.”

Russia gave Belgium a scare in the

STAR MAN

KEVIN DE BRUYNE

Belgium

Leadership brings out the best in KDB.

That was the verdict of the Belgian press

after the Manchester City midfield

maestro’s first game as the captain of the

national side, putting on a masterclass in

his side’s 4-0 thumping of Scotland at

Hampden Park in Glasgow.

This was a symphonic recital from De

Bruyne, as close to perfection as one

possibly could achieve; a display of vision,

opener in Brussels. After Tielemans had

put the home side ahead, Artyom

Dzyuba caught keeper Thibaut Courtois

in possession and passed to Denis

Cheryshev, who equalised. But Belgium’s

superior pressure told, with Eden Hazard

winning and converting a 45th-minute

penalty before tapping in a late third goal.

Five subsequent victories have put

Stanislav Cherchesov’s side within

touching distance of second spot.

Scotland have not recovered from

their disastrous start, when a 3-0 defeat

in Kazakhstan led to the end of Alex

McLeish’s second spell as manager.

His replacement, Steve Clarke, has

fared little better. Oliver Burke’s late

winner against Cyprus at Hampden Park

spared Scotland’s blushes in Clarke’s first

game, but defeats to Belgium and a

home loss to Russia ended any hopes

of automatic qualification.

Their best route to the finals now lies

with the play-offs, after they won their

Nations League C group ahead of Israel

and Albania last year.

San Marino, with six defeats, no goals

scored and 28 conceded, currently have

the worst record of any side in any of the

qualifying sections.

EURO 2020 | Qualifiers

GROUP

I

“Leander Dendoncker and Youri Tielemans showed

that there are many younger players waiting to make

the breakthrough”

Belgium boss Roberto Martinez

No way through...

Scotland’s Oliver

McBurnie is crowded

out against Russia

Prolific...Timothy

Castagne (left)

and Dries Mertens

celebrate another

Belgium goal