Where has Belgium’s sparkling attack gone? Not everything is comparable, but the differential between the first seventeen matches of Domenico Tedesco’s mandate, in qualifying for the Euro and in friendly matches, then during this Euro, tends to make one dizzy.
Going from an average of almost two goals per game to an average of just over half a goal per game gives the appearance of a collapse in the money-time. Was the quality of the opponents not high enough between March 2023 and June 2024? In qualifying, Belgium put four goals past Austria (1-1 and 2-3), first in their group, at the Euro, ahead of France and the Netherlands; and it put five past Germany (2-3) and England (2-2).
They were friendly matches and we know the significance of that, of course, but there was still an animation, a dynamic that suggested brighter days to come, to the point that it was the defense that was more often a cause for concern. Since Belgium’s arrival in Germany, the enchantment has disappeared a little and the questions are piling up as the matches go by.
The data specialist’s analysis of Ukraine – Belgium
There was VAR during the matches against Slovakia and Romania, but there are also other lines of thought to try to understand this lack of effectiveness. Against Ukraine, the technical waste was too great, in the transmissions, and despite the opportunities created. The figures clearly show a clear presence in the opposing final third, and that is the problem, since the final touch is too little present.
guillementI saw three or four big chances on average in each of our matches.
In his own way, Thomas Meunier, like other Red Devils before him, wanted to defuse the issue by adopting a constructive approach: “There is one positive thing to remember when we miss chances: it means at least we create some. I saw three or four great chances in each match. It wasn’t the most accomplished match, but we managed to make transitions or move the lines. We have players who know how to vary the danger.” But only two opportunities materialized, therefore.
Against Ukraine, there was also something new: Romelu Lukaku did not see one of his goals cancelled by the VAR. But he only had two shots on target and he appeared to struggle in certain closing situations. A shot that was too crushed in the first half, a duel lost in the second. The AS Roma striker has not scored in a major tournament match for five games, seven if we count that the penalty against Italy (quarter-final of Euro 2020) was not a goal from full play.
It is obviously too long a silence for a player who has carried the team, offensively, since the arrival of Tedesco, perhaps too much in terms of numbers, in fact. He has in fact scored half of the Belgian goals since the arrival of the Italian-German technician: 17 for Lukaku; 18 for the rest of the team. Does extinguishing the threat of the Belgian number 10 allow the danger to be reduced by half? In any case, since the start of the Euro, he has been confronted with defenders close to him, to limit his movements and, above all, the relations with his teammates.
Lukaku exchanged as many passes with Castagne as with De Bruyne and Trossard (4)
It is also surprising to note that Lukaku, against Ukraine, exchanged as many passes with Timothy Castagne as with Kevin De Bruyne and Leandro Trossard (4), one less with Jeremy Doku (3). For comparison, Doku and Lukaku exchanged 9 passes against Romania. The connection, when it is cut, must be bypassed in another way and this is what has been a recurring problem.
Perhaps also blunted by a long season and a significant expenditure of energy, Lukaku could not receive a helping hand from the second row, or not efficiently enough. The 18 balls lost by De Bruyne, while he had only lost 10 then 12 against Slovakia and Romania, also illustrate the waste of a team that also depends on its captain, nevertheless elected man of the match – which places the limit, sometimes, of this kind of exercise to promote a sponsor.
Thomas Meunier’s press conference
In Mr. Manhattan’s chronicles, Benoît Poelvoorde played the role of an advisor of all kinds, with a question followed by “what to do?” which led to a response starting with “You should never, ever…” In the case of Belgium, the question could be: you are at the head of a team which does not score and you are starting to get very bored. What to do ? We must never, ever spread the impression of doubt.
More surprising coaching during a match?
But we should not spare ourselves from one or two adaptations, or more impactful coaching. Domenico Tedesco had pointed this out, but for other reasons, after the qualification against Ukraine: “I made changes position by position, I didn’t replace Doku with a central defender.” The coach had underlined this point to explain himself to the supporters, but he had accepted the idea, implicitly, that he had not adopted management to swing the match.
And if the rise of Carrasco almost led to a goal, none of the changes have made a difference so far, apart from the canceled goal against Slovakia following a handball by Loïs Openda, scored in the 84th minute.
The management of the Leipzig player can be questioned, not so much in a logic of starting him, but rather in that of the substitute who could provide another support to Lukaku. He has only played seven minutes in three matches, which is questionable for a team in difficulty. In the same way, Charles De Ketelaere has not yet been used since the start of the tournament (see elsewhere) and Leandro Trossard, if he was not the worst against the Ukrainians, enjoys great confidence, failing to be decisive.
The Belgian attack will fall against a French block next Monday. “We’ll see how France plays, but I don’t expect a tight match, it wouldn’t surprise me if we see a few goals.” If Belgium regains its pre-Euro efficiency, it will be a good thing. To give ourselves courage, we can always say to ourselves that France is no further ahead, since it has only scored two goals since the start of the tournament and none from open play (an own goal and a penalty).
