Post by account_disabled on Jan 10, 2024 2:04:49 GMT -7
The golden generation of Belgian football showed its full potential this Friday in Kazan and defeated Brazil, a five-time world champion, 1-2 and advanced steadily to the semifinals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
In a display of offensive power, with Hazard, De Bruyne and Lukaku in command, Spanish Roberto Martínez's team beat the top favorite for the title and will play for a place in the final against their neighbors in France.
The tactical battle of the coaches fell on the side of Martínez, questioned by many upon his arrival in the country and revered now after leaving the Canarinha in the gutter and Binance App Users Data putting the Red Devils among the four best in the world for the second time in their history - Belgium was fourth in Mexico 1986-.
Plan B that saved Belgium at the last minute against Japan (3-2) now became Plan A. Martínez kept Fellaini and Chadli in the eleven, heroes in the round of 16 clash, to the detriment of Mertens and Ferreira-Carrasco , but with a tactical variant: he paired Fellaini with Witsel in the midfield and placed De Bruyne freely closer to Hazard and Lukaku. He strengthened the line of midfielders and enhanced the virtues of the top four.
There were no new additions to the Brazilian roster beyond those known from the already recovered Marcelo for Filipe Luis at left back and Fernandinho in place of the suspended - and today missed - Casemiro in the midfield.
Brazil started off with a bang but faded away. After two scoring chances that Thiago Silva and Paulinho incomprehensibly missed, the best collective version of Belgium awoke. The spark came somewhat fortuitously, the work of Fernandinho, who, when trying to clear a corner kick from Hazard, shouldered the ball into his own goal.
Tite's men, dangerous before the goal, became predictable. With Neymar off, Coutinho chased by Fellaini and Gabriel Jesús isolated, the European team left the ball to the rival and made the counterattack their best weapon.
With Hazard and De Bruyne free and with spaces and Lukaku starting from the right, as he did on several occasions when Martínez was Everton coach, Belgium struck again. This time it was De Bruyne, but the credit went to Lukaku, who in a transition after recovery got rid of all the rivals that stood in his way, opened to the right and there the Manchester City player unleashed a blow that He sneaked into Alisson's right post.
In a display of offensive power, with Hazard, De Bruyne and Lukaku in command, Spanish Roberto Martínez's team beat the top favorite for the title and will play for a place in the final against their neighbors in France.
The tactical battle of the coaches fell on the side of Martínez, questioned by many upon his arrival in the country and revered now after leaving the Canarinha in the gutter and Binance App Users Data putting the Red Devils among the four best in the world for the second time in their history - Belgium was fourth in Mexico 1986-.
Plan B that saved Belgium at the last minute against Japan (3-2) now became Plan A. Martínez kept Fellaini and Chadli in the eleven, heroes in the round of 16 clash, to the detriment of Mertens and Ferreira-Carrasco , but with a tactical variant: he paired Fellaini with Witsel in the midfield and placed De Bruyne freely closer to Hazard and Lukaku. He strengthened the line of midfielders and enhanced the virtues of the top four.
There were no new additions to the Brazilian roster beyond those known from the already recovered Marcelo for Filipe Luis at left back and Fernandinho in place of the suspended - and today missed - Casemiro in the midfield.
Brazil started off with a bang but faded away. After two scoring chances that Thiago Silva and Paulinho incomprehensibly missed, the best collective version of Belgium awoke. The spark came somewhat fortuitously, the work of Fernandinho, who, when trying to clear a corner kick from Hazard, shouldered the ball into his own goal.
Tite's men, dangerous before the goal, became predictable. With Neymar off, Coutinho chased by Fellaini and Gabriel Jesús isolated, the European team left the ball to the rival and made the counterattack their best weapon.
With Hazard and De Bruyne free and with spaces and Lukaku starting from the right, as he did on several occasions when Martínez was Everton coach, Belgium struck again. This time it was De Bruyne, but the credit went to Lukaku, who in a transition after recovery got rid of all the rivals that stood in his way, opened to the right and there the Manchester City player unleashed a blow that He sneaked into Alisson's right post.