"Biggest fraud in football", "Rainy day in hell" - Belgium fans furious with Roberto Martinez as FIFA World Cup starting XI against Morocco is announced

Belgium have confirmed their starting line-up to face Morocco in the FIFA World Cup in Qatar and the fans are not happy.

Belgium got their 2022 FIFA World Cup off to a winning start, beating Canada 1-0 last week. They will now look to make it two wins in two matches when they play their second group-stage game of the tournament today (27 November).

The Red Devils are set to lock horns with Morocco at the Al Thumama Stadium in Qatar. A victory over the African nation would see them book their place in the Round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup.

With less than an hour to go until kick-off, Belgium have announced their starting line-up for the match. Roberto Martinez has notably made three changes to the team that beat Canada in their opener

Leander Dendoncker has been relegated to the bench, with Thomas Meunier taking his place in the three-man defense. Meanwhile, Thorgan Hazard has taken Yannick Carrasco's place on the left side of the midfield.

Everton's Amadou Onana will play alongside Axel Witsel in a double pivot in midfield. It is worth noting that it is Leicester City's Youri Tielemans who has made way for the Everton man.

Meanwhile, Martinez has trusted veterans Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen by naming them in his first XI again. Michy Batshuayi has also retained his place after scoring the winner against Canada.

The Spanish tactician is confident that his preferred starting line-up will get the job done against Morocco. However, it appears fans are not on board with some of his decisions, including Alderweireld, Vertonghen and Batshuayi being named in the first XI. One fan wrote on Twitter:

How are Morocco lining up against Belgium in the FIFA World Cup?

Morocco go into their match against Belgium on the back of a 0-0 draw with Croatia in their opener. They will thus be determined to earn their first win of the 2022 FIFA World Cup today.

Walid Regragui, though, has decided against making any changes to the team that drew against Croatia. The Moroccan tactician has trusted the same set of 11 players to cause an upset over the Red Devils.

There were concerns about Achraf Hakimi and Noussair Mazraoui's fitness after the last match. However, the full-back duo have been passed fit to start against Martinez and Co. today.

About the author

Dakir is a European and Indian football journalist at Sportskeeda with an overall experience of 10 years. Holding a Master’s degree in Journalism & Mass Communication, and currently pursuing Master’s in Sports Journalism from Sheffield Hallam University, he is a seasoned football journalist who has interviewed the likes of former Liverpool star John Arne Riise, covered the entire 2022-23 Indian Super League season of the Kerala Blasters, and has delivered a seminar at an international conference held by St. Albert's College, Ernakulam.

Thanks to his extensive academic background in journalism, Dakir understands the importance of accuracy and spends a significant amount of time researching the subject. In today’s data-driven world of football, where players are perceived as machines, he prides himself amplify the voices of the people that make football the beautiful game that it is.

He started following football in 2013, and more specifically, Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool, and admires Jurgen Klopp for his untouched charisma and unmatched legacy. A perpetual underdog supporter, he is a fan of under-fire Reds forward Darwin Nunez and can’t wait for him to show the world what he truly is. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s iconic “corner taken quickly” corner assist for Divock Origi in Liverpool’s 4-0 UCL semifinal win over Barcelona left a lasting impact on him.

When not writing, Dakir enjoys indulging in his guilty pleasure - watching mass commercial movies.

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