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#3 Belgium’s defending was masterful throughout the game
The fact that England dominated the second half in terms of possession, took 16 shots on goal, and yet didn’t test Thibaut Courtois should probably tell you a lot about how this game went. Despite playing an attacking system that involved two flying wing-backs in Thomas Meunier and Thorgan Hazard, Belgium’s defending was absolutely fantastic.
The likes of Jack Grealish, Bukayo Saka, and Harry Kane all made inroads into the penalty area throughout this game. But every time it came to shooting, Jason Denayer, Jan Vertonghen, and Toby Alderweireld always seemed to be able to get in the way.
At times, it felt like every time Kane found himself in the box, he was absolutely surrounded by red shirts. Admittedly, England lacked the creativity to find a killer pass, and their final ball was somewhat lacking at times. But even so, it would’ve been hard for even the best attack to get through this defense.
Vertonghen, Denayer, and Alderweireld often come under criticism for their lack of pace, but tonight they didn’t need it. They simply used their experience to wait until exactly the right moment and then shut England’s attacks down. As a defensive performance, it was brilliant.
#4 Is it the end of the road for Kyle Walker and England?
When he was sent off for England against Iceland back in September, it looked like the end of the road for Kyle Walker at international level. The Manchester City man had failed to make Gareth Southgate’s last England squad but came back in for that game in Reykjavik, only to put in his worst performance in the shirt to date.
Curiously, Walker was still brought back in October’s internationals and was then restored to his 2018 World Cup position on the right side of a three-man defense. He performed well in that month’s games against Belgium and Denmark – but had an absolute stinker tonight.
Walker lost the ball cheaply on numerous occasions, constantly misplaced passes, and while he got into decent attacking positions, he was wasteful there too. One example of this was his far-too-deep cross for Harry Kane in the second half – a cross that Kane would’ve reached only had he been around ten feet tall.
At the age of 30, surely, it’s the right time to say enough is enough and call time on Walker’s international career? He’s arguably behind Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kieran Trippier, and Reece James in the pecking order for England at right-back now. And if England want a pacy, right-sided defender for their back three, then surely Manchester United’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka would be a better bet?
Walker has been a solid servant for England, but judging on tonight’s showing, he simply isn’t good enough at this level anymore.
#5 Can Belgium’s golden generation now win a trophy?
This wasn’t the best performance from Belgium by any means – they scored a deflected goal and a questionable free-kick and then spent the entire second half defending against England. However, Roberto Martinez’s men still came out with a strong 2-0 win. And barring a collapse against Denmark on Wednesday, they will now head to next year’s UEFA Nations League finals.
So is 2021 going to be the year that Belgium’s so-called golden generation finally win a trophy? It’s definitely possible. Judging by tonight’s performance, it’s going to be hard for any of Europe’s attacking units to break down their defense.
And with players like Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and the absent Eden Hazard at their disposal, Roberto Martinez’s side has enough firepower to hurt any team in the world.
Up to this point, Belgium have always fallen at the final hurdle, often choking in the moment as they did against Wales in Euro 2016. However, their squad certainly hasn’t gotten any weaker, and if anything, their defense is more experienced and slightly stronger now.
It’s arguable that the Nations League might be their best bet of a trophy next year, assuming they make the finals, as they’ll only have to win two games to achieve it. But with the rest of Europe’s heavyweights not really firing on all cylinders right now, 2021 might be their best chance yet.
