SecondEljim is not entirely in crisis. They are a team that has had to deal with serious disappointments in their last two games. There is also a country that has been without a government for nearly two years. They experienced unstable situations. But being on the wrong end of the Championship’s only shock result so far is not an ideal place to be.
Slovakia powered on to a shrewd and opportunistic attack early on in Frankfurt and held on to the lead for the rest of the game, with Belgium dominating, creating chances but failing to convert them (when they did, they both excluded by VAR). Slovakia’s subsequent loss to Ukraine on Friday means Group E will be all drawn if Belgium beat Romania in Cologne on Saturday. Now, all Belgium must do is figure out how to find a solution to its immediate predicament, even if some long-term problems remain.
“I didn’t expect that we deserved to win,” Jan Vertonghen said of the Slovak match. The 37-year-old former Tottenham Hotspur defender has found his leadership qualities valued both on and off the pitch by coach Domenico Tedesco. He has seen a lot before and remains confident about the team’s prospects. “We can conclude that we didn’t take our chances, didn’t give up too much, and we still have two games to play. Romania cannot be underestimated, but I think we have a good plan against Slovakia and I believe that on Saturday This will also be the case.
The Red Devils underperformed in many aspects against Slovakia, both collectively and individually. In terms of selection, they face similar problems to England, lacking real attacking width at left-back and on the flanks. Tedesco’s solution was to play winger Carrasco at left-back, a gamble that may not have paid off, but it didn’t entirely fail either.
The bigger problem is the ability of the midfield to connect the game. Belgium’s double sixes, Aurel Mangala and Amadou Onana, were asked to defend deep in the hope of stalling the midfield. In theory, this would create all the space Kevin De Bruyne needs to create his unique brand of mischief. Instead, Mangala and Onana were overpowered by the greedy Slovak midfield trio. This approach may require tactical adjustments before facing Nicola Stanciu and co.
That said, any structural issues won’t matter if Romelu Lukaku takes his chance. The Belgian No. 9 player confusingly wore the No. 10 jersey in this game, missed 3 great opportunities, and was the individual overturned by VAR twice. Overall, he was active and some of his offensive plays were impressive, but his shooting boots were definitely not misplaced but kidnapped, and his whereabouts were constantly on his mind.
Such changes within a game are typical of Lukaku, who has experienced huge ups and downs. One of the highlights is that he is Belgium’s all-time leading goalscorer and Vertonghen responded to his friend’s inconsistent performances in a clever way. “Romelu has been through a lot in his career, there have been wonderful moments and disappointing moments,” he said. “That’s what being a striker is; you score goals and you’re the hero, you miss chances and everyone is looking at you. Romelu loves those moments when the focus is on him and the pressure is on him. The pressure of six will also be on him and I believe he will find a way to achieve his goal.
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Belgium went on a 14-game unbeaten run under Tedesco before this World Cup, and the manager and his de facto assistants within the squad remain confident that good form will be restored. But it’s worth noting that Vertonghen believes Belgium and England have another thing in common, which is dealing with the problems that come with the pressure of expectations. With most of the “golden era” retired, players in the new era must face the hopes of a country for the first time.
“For a lot of people it’s their first game and you always want to win the first game to take the pressure off,” Vertonghen said. “I understand what the kids need, they don’t need too much pressure.” However, Belgium is now under pressure.
