leader rating FIFA Belgium is Portugal’s next contender for Euro 2020. Unlike the national team, which had yet to be counted in Group F, the Belgians did it. “Clean” first phase, with three wins in the same number of games. Russia, Denmark and Finland fell victim to the Belgians, who comfortably took first place in Group B with seven goals scored and one conceded.

Belgium, which Portugal has not lost since 1990, has not lost 12 games (since October 2020) and promises to be a tough contender. it’s yours Key Features.

Eden Hazard, Lukaku or De Bruyne. Finding the best players in the Belgium national team is not difficult, and mainly due to the individual characteristics and combinations between them during the game, the team creates a great danger. De Bruyne (with former Benfica player Axel Witsel assisting in the midfield) is a relay of the Belgian game that has already opened some difficult moments in this European football. Lukaku to be a reference point in the attack. Striker typology is one of Belgium’s greatest weapons, with the unknown Eden Hazard who, even out of shape in times past, can always make a genius move to make a difference.

what to explore

With a goal from the giant Courtois, the weaker side of the Belgians is on the defensive. On the flanks, Meunier is a little more defensive, while Carrasco (or Thorgan Hazard) plays a little higher on the left. On this side, but on the line of three centers, is Vertonghen, the Benfica player, who no longer has the speed as before. At the center of the defense is Denayer, whose ability to go out and play is sometimes questionable, as he has already shown. The speed and creativity of national players can be critical before it is protection.

To understand

The current highlight of the Belgium national team, without much doubt, is Lukaku. The Inter striker often plays as a “pivot”, taking the ball with his back to the goal, and, in addition to being dangerous when hitting the goal, it is useful to distribute it to his colleagues. But Lukaku not only excels in positional play. The player’s speed and brute strength are intimidating to any defense, and with space it’s a real puzzle. This will be Fernando Santos’ great dilemma: how to get depth from an Inter player without going too far so that Kevin de Bruyne can play in areas closer to the area where he can be more critical.

Revelation

He is 19 years old and looked in great shape in the last Belgium group stage match against Finland. Rennes striker Jeremy Doku senses a nuance in his game that the players are beginning to miss. It’s creative, fast and unafraid of the competition. It’s hard to play with this Belgian team full of talent and experience, but if you need to shake it up, the cloth this is a man. And the meetings he had in the race strengthened that status.

tactics

Belgium usually line up in 3x4x3 but no return is too far away. He considers himself a big team, builds with three centers wide open and seeks help in the center, in Witsel and De Bruyne, or on the lines in Meunier and Carrasco (or Thorgan Hazard), or even in longer passes to Lukaku. The two players who support the Inter striker usually play very mobile, but everything will largely depend on Eden Hazard. If the team captain plays and will always play from the line to the middle, almost like a “vagabond”, Carrasco or Thorgan Hazard will make the entire left flank. If he stays on the bench, as he did in the first two games, he will line up with Carrasco and Torgan behind him, resulting in more vertical play and speed.

Trainer

Roberto Martinez, 47-year-old Spanish coach, helmsman of the Belgian team. He led the team in 2016 and has a very interesting record: 46 wins in 59 games. A former mid-career player, it was at Swansea that he started making a name for himself in 2006/2007, jumping three seasons at Wigan. Kept the club in the Premier League for three seasons, failing to avoid relegation in 2013. However, this did not stop him from advancing in his career and moving to Everton. In two seasons, he finished fifth in the Premier League in 2013/2014, and the following season, the Liverpool club finished 11th in the FA Championship. He leaves in 2015 and joins the Belgium national team the following year.

What they say

Some Belgian newspapers have already reacted to the “luck” in their places… O The Latest News, por exemplo, diz que a Bélgica tem de ser “giant killer” if you want to destroy Portugal by highlighting the “duel” that will take place between Pepe and Lukaku. By the way, if you look at the round of 16 standings, it promises to be a big clash of the round.