3 Reasons Why Belgium Can Beat France

#2 Moving beyond the psychological barrier

Spirits are high in the Belgian

As all fans of the England Football team will tell you, winning the penalty shoot-out against Columbia was a massive weight off their shoulders. Similarly, for Belgium getting to the semifinals of the biggest tournament in the world, will remove any added pressure that they might be feeling.

Belgium faltered at the quarter-final stage in 2014 and again in 2016 at the European Championships against a Wales side everyone expected them to beat. Their inability to win big games led many to question if this “ Golden generation “ had the character to perform on the big occasion.

Reaching the semi-finals of the World cup not only silences critics but also removes any doubt amongst the players about their individual performances.

The game against Japan showcased the resilience and never say die attitude that this group possesses. When you win a game after being down 2-0 midway through the second half, it is a testament as to how well this group can handle the weight of expectations.

Any rumblings of discontent among the squad members have quickly been quashed with eye-catching performances. The unity and bond the players share are there for everyone to see.

Belgium were slow to come out in the 1st half. While they managed to carve out a few chances, the Japan defence remained largely untroubled. They defended as a unit and were able to contain Hazard and co throughout the first 45. The second half began and we had an upset on the cards.

A combination of good attacking play and some luck enabled Japan to take the lead and caught the Belgium defence napping. To make matters worse for Belgium, Takashi Inui of Japan seized his chance to shine and scored an absolute screamer from 25 yards which gave Courtois no chance. Midway through the second half, it looked like Belgium would be taking an early flight home.

Martinez rang in the changes and Fellaini, along with Chadli were brought in to inject pace and power into the game. Belgium too had their share of luck with the first goal. Jan Vertonghen's header gave them a glimmer and they players took care of the rest.

Belgium did not give up and kept coming with everything they had. The fact that they did not give up after scoring the equalizer speaks volumes about this group. Belgium were aware they had Japan on the ropes and they seized the chance in the dying seconds of normal time, with Chadli slotting in the goal after a clever dummy by Lukaku.

This never say die attitude combined with the quality that this team possesses, is a sign of how far these players have come since their shock loss against Wales in 2016.

Against Brazil, Belgium was innovative in the first half and dogged in the second. They repeatedly tore the Brazil defence to shreds with their lightning quick counter attacks and defended as a unit after the goal by Renato Augusto. The first half, in particular, was fascinating to watch as this side went toe to toe against the 5-time champions.

Belgium, ruthless on the counter, exploited the free space afforded to them by Brazil and launched wave after wave in the attack. If the win against Japan was a test of their character, then this was a result that shocked the Football world.

Belgium not only scored two goals in the first half, they did so by being the better team. The reactions of the players said it all. This is the win they needed, to make the fans believe, to make the world believe and to make themselves believe.

In the second half, Brazil finally realized that this was a World cup quarterfinal and decided to make a match of it. There were nervy moments, especially after the goal by Renato Augusto, Belgium managed to keep their cool and see the game out. There were standout performances by Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois.

Hazard, in particular, was willing to receive the ball while under pressure and managed to show off his exquisite dribbling skills as he managed to create some breathing room for his defense, who had a lot more to do in the second half.

It was a mature performance from the Chelsea man and went some way in silencing critics who doubted his leadership abilities. Courtois had one of the best performances by a goalkeeper at this edition and always looked composed and collected, even after the conceding the goal

The win against Brazil was a great way to announce themselves to the world, and, with this psychological block released, Belgium can approach the clash against France confidently. No longer is this team the underdogs.

The win over Brazil proved that whatever was holding them back, isn't anymore. They are on equal footing with France, and arguably have the form and momentum to see of this tie and stake a claim for the Finals.