The Red Devils launch their tournament this Monday against Slovakia. It was about time, according to Emiliano Bonfigli.
We are finally there! A new tournament to forget the nightmare of the last World Cup… Since the elimination suffered in the first round in Qatar, 564 days have passed. A long period lived to the rhythm of twists and turns and questions: the end of Eden Hazard’s career, the international retirements of executives like Alderweireld, the tiptoeing departure of Roberto Martinez, the induction of a new coach, the captaincy for De Bruyne, the Thibaut Courtois soap opera, the last minute return of Axel Witsel….
Domenico Tedesco’s takeover of power was not, it must be said, a long, quiet river. Fortunately, in the midst of these upheavals, there have also been constants: Belgium easily qualified for a sixth consecutive major tournament and Romelu Lukaku always stacks up the goals as soon as he puts on this national jersey which sticks to him like a second skin… It is therefore with certain certainties that the Devils are moving towards this first duel of Euro 2024. The impeccable record under Domenico Tedesco encourages a certain form of optimism: 10 victories, 4 shares, no defeats… This should not be neglected. But we also have to remain realistic. Belgium is approaching this tournament with a lot of questions in mind and an outsider status more in line, perhaps, with the real level of our football.
In this selection, some will discover the scale and splendor of a major tournament. There are 6 novices in this case: De Cuyper, Mangala, Vranckx, Vermeeren, Lukebakio and Bakayoko. Others will only be on their second experience of this type, like Faes, Debast or Onana to name a few. A certain nervousness could logically be felt. This is the danger of these competitive starts. A leap into the unknown, facing an opponent who has often focused his preparation on this first meeting. Remember the painful victory against Algeria in 2014, the defeat against Italy at Euro 2016, or the very complicated match against Canada in 2022 in Qatar… An entry into the running is never a sinecure. And this could still be the case against a Slovak team which will have absolutely nothing to lose.
Ranked 48th in the Fifa ranking, Slovakia would be the most affordable opponent in the first round, behind Ukraine (22nd) and Romania (46th). These are just numbers and Francesco Calzona’s men in any case want to reach the round of 16, as they did in 2016 during their first participation in the Euro. Fortunately, Marek Hamsik, the top scorer in the history of the Slovak selection, no longer plays and that removes a thorn in the side of the Belgian defense.
This will therefore start gently and that’s so much the better. With De Cuyper (2), Faes (15) and Debast (8), we have barely 25 matches with the Devils. Castagne is the dean of this defensive line with 43 caps. It is in this sector that the questions are the most numerous and I still do not understand why Tedesco did not select an additional defender since he had the right to 26 players. Regardless, this will not constitute an excuse. With the offensive material available, Belgium must finish in the first phase of this group. During these first days spent in Germany, the Devils’ speech was resolutely positive. As always, the terrain will dictate its truth.
Exactly, speaking of the field, the basic 11 should be next. Casteels on goal; Castagne, Debast, Faes and De Cuyper will make up the defensive line since this duel comes much too early for Vertonghen and Faes. In the middle of the game, Onana and Mangala, as recoverers, will support De Bruyne. Carrasco and Trossard should be aligned on the flanks and preferred for the moment to Doku, Bakayoko and Lukebakio. Up front, Lukaku is obviously essential. On the offensive level, our team looks great. For the first time in a major tournament, Kevin De Bruyne is the undisputed and indisputable boss of this selection. In recent days, we have seen him smile on multiple occasions. The image of an angry De Bruyne raising his arms in annoyance towards the Qatari sky seems very far away. It’s better this way. Belgium will only be able to perform if De Bruyne makes this German meeting his reference tournament.
Red Devils Belgium Slovakia
