Loïs Openda had a disappointing evening in the international match against Italy, with only two touches in the first 45 minutes. The RB Leipzig striker, who was in attack together with Romelu Lukaku, hardly featured in the piece.
Although he excels in the Bundesliga thanks to a tactical open game, he struggles in the Belgian national team. “Openda is a victim of a lack of creativity in midfield,” says Philippe Albert The evening.
Thanks to his strength and experience, Romelu Lukaku sometimes manages to free himself despite strong man coverage. However, Openda lacks the same options. His game depends heavily on good passes, which simply did not happen against Israel.
The absence of Kevin De Bruyne in particular became painfully clear. Leandro Trossard, normally a creative link, was completely out of place in the first half. According to Albert, the problem lies not only with Openda, but also with the structure of the Belgian game.
“When the balls don’t even leave midfield, a striker like Openda has no chance. He has difficulty finding the ball himself and creating actions.” The 23-year-old from Liège has only scored twice for the Red Devils in almost two years, a contrast to his performances in Germany.
The match against Israel once again showed how dependent Belgium is on strongmen like De Bruyne. Without his depth and passing, the national team seems to lack creativity.
