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England are set to lock horns with Belgium in a high-octane clash in the UEFA Nations League at Wembley Stadium. The Englishmen have been far from their fluent best in the two matchdays so far as they needed a 90th-minute penalty to go past Iceland and were held to a 0-0 draw away in Denmark.
The visitors, on the other hand, have won both their opening games in the tournament with relative ease. The Belgian Red Devils won by a score of 2-0 against Denmark and thrashed Iceland by a score of 5-1.
That being said, their most results were a tad different as it was the Englishmen who emerged victorious in their friendly against Wales, while Belgium were held to a 1-1 draw by Ivory Coast.
Gareth Southgate and Roberto Martinez's men will be set to play the first of their two encounters against each other in League A Group 2 at Wembley, and both managers have an abundance of incredible talent to call upon. Here, we take a look at some key battles all over the pitch that could influence the result.
#5 Trent Alexander-Arnold vs Yannick Carrasco
Liverpool ace Trent Alexander-Arnold, likely to play as a wing-back in a five-man defence opted for by Southgate, could possibly face Atletico Madrid star Yannick Ferreira Carrasco on his side of the pitch. The Belgian winger was in sublime touch in the UEFA Champions League for Atletico Madrid last year upon his return to the club from the Chinese Super League, and will be a handful for any full-back.
Alexander-Arnold will have to protect his flank and ensure that he does not leave space behind him as Carrasco thrives on having such room to run into. The Englishman was part of the backline that conceded seven Premier League goals at Villa Park, and would hope to put that terrible night behind him with an impressive display against one of the best teams in the world.
#4 Jadon Sancho vs Timothy Castagne
Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho will be one of the Three Lions' most important players heading into the Nations League. The winger was one of the most impressive players in all of Europe last year as he set up 16 goals and scored 17 in just over 30 games for the Germans. He will be up against Leicester City's versatile Belgian Timothy Castagne on the right flank. The Englishman is likely to play off the right-hand side of Harry Kane.
Castagne got off to an excellent start to life as a Leicester player and has been impressive in his first few games at the King Power. The 24-year-old will be tasked with keeping England's creative hub quiet, which will be anything but an easy task. However, Castagne has shown that he is capable of handling quick, explosive wingers in the league and could prove to be a difficult player for Sancho to get past.
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#3 Harry Kane vs Jadon Denayer
Arguably the most in-form player in the Premier League this year, Harry Kane is playing like a man who wants to make up for lost ground. The English captain suffered from injuries last year but has gotten off to a blistering start in every competition this season. The man that he will be up against isn't a rookie either as Olympique Lyon star Jason Denayer is a rock-solid defender.
The former Manchester City centre-half was pivotal to Les Gones' fairytale run to the UEFA Champions League semi-final, managing to shut down some of the most feared attacks in Europe. Denayer is physically dominant and could potentially go toe-to-toe with the powerful English striker. Kane has been simply unstoppable so far as Manchester United found out in a 6-1 thrashing at Old Trafford, and Denayer will be pivotal for Belgium to contain him.
#2 Harry Maguire vs Romelu Lukaku
Manchester United captain Harry Maguire will be set to face the man who left the club in the same summer he arrived, Romelu Lukaku. The former United striker's decision to leave the club was vindicated after a record-breaking campaign in Serie A. Lukaku has been Inter's go-to man at the tip of their attack, scoring the joint-most number of goals by any Nerazzurri player in a debut campaign along with Ronaldo Nazario.
He will be up against Maguire who, to put it mildly, has been one of the most disappointing Manchester United players this season so far. The Englishman was in all sorts of trouble during the Red Devils' embarrassing loss to Spurs. After a horrible summer which saw him get into legal trouble in Greece, his time on the pitch in the 2020/21 campaign has been a nightmare as well. Against Belgium, Maguire will be tasked with keeping Belgium's all-time top scorer quiet, which will be anything but an easy task.
#1 Jordan Henderson vs Kevin De Bruyne
Belgium vs England will set the stage perfectly for a battle between two of the Premier League's most influential midfielders in Jordan Henderson and Kevin De Bruyne. The Englishman was instrumental in guiding Liverpool to their first-ever Premier League title. His tenacity, work ethic, and most importantly, his leadership have all stood out as the attributes that Henderson showed in abundance. He will lock horns in the middle of the park with last year's PFA Player of the Year, Kevin De Bruyne.
The Belgian maestro enjoyed a record-breaking campaign and was undisputedly the best player in the league despite Manchester City's woes. De Bruyne, on form, is one of the best players in the world and became only the second player in Premier League history to register 20 assists in a campaign. Henderson has successfully managed to help Liverpool stifle some of the best players in the league including De Bruyne and City, and now will hope to do the same for his country against Belgium.
