Belgium’s Injury Crisis Contributes To Loss Against Israel In Nations League

-myKhel Team

Belgium’s coach, Domenico Tedesco, attributed their unexpected defeat to Israel in the Nations League to a significant injury list. The match, held in Budapest, ended 1-0 in Israel’s favour. Belgium had also suffered a similar loss to Italy just days before. With these results, Belgium missed the chance to finish in the top two of Group A1 and now face a playoff against a Group B runner-up.

During this international break, Belgium faced an injury crisis. Captain Kevin De Bruyne was absent as he recovered from a hamstring issue. Romelu Lukaku and four others withdrew from the squad on Saturday. Additionally, Leandro Trossard and Zeno Debast were injured during Sunday’s match. Tedesco noted that some players had to play full matches twice within three days.

Tedesco expressed disappointment with the outcome but acknowledged the challenging circumstances. “We started well, but ultimately, under really difficult circumstances, this is not the result we hoped for,” he said. The team had never played or trained together before this match. Despite these challenges, Tedesco remains optimistic about Belgium’s future performance.

Belgium attempted 649 passes against Israel, their highest in this Nations League edition. However, they only managed 12 shots compared to Israel’s 10. Their expected goals (xG) stood at 0.91, slightly above Israel’s 0.77. Yarden Shua scored the decisive goal for Israel in the 86th minute after coming off the bench.

Tedesco remains confident about Belgium’s prospects in upcoming playoffs scheduled for March. “We will remain in League A, I am sure of it,” he stated confidently. He emphasised that playing well in such matches is crucial for their goal of qualifying for the World Cup.

The recent games served as an opportunity for Tedesco to evaluate new players ahead of future competitions. “Overall, the lessons learned were also part of the plan; it was about getting to know many players,” he explained. This experience will be valuable when they regroup in March.

Despite recent setbacks, Tedesco believes his team can overcome these challenges and achieve their objectives in both the Nations League and World Cup qualifiers.

Story first published: Monday, November 18, 2024, 15:09 [IST]