Belgium vs Croatia: one last dance for the ‘Golden generation’?
The final match of Group F sees Belgium take on Croatia. The winner of this tie will progress to the round of 16 whilst the loser will surely kiss their World Cup dreams goodbye.
Belgium
Belgium have been uninspiring in this year’s World Cup.
In their first outing against Canada, they scrapped a 1-0 victory. They looked lethargic and allowed the opposition onto them, conceding 22 shots in 90 minutes. Only a Michy Batshuayi goal in the 44th minute was enough to save them from humiliation.
Yet, against Morocco, their luck ran out. Whilst they controlled the majority of possession, Morocco created the better chances and Belgium deserved to lose to the African side.
The negativity surrounding the Belgium team stems not just on the pitch. Off the pitch, players have had their say on the state of the national team. One being Kevin De Bruyne.
In a recent interview with the Guardian, he said “I think our chance was 2018. We have a good team, but it is ageing. We lost some key players. We have some good new players coming, but they are not at the level other players were in 2018. I see us more as outsiders.”
After Belgium’s 2-0 loss to Morocco, Jan Vertonghen spoke to the Athletic in reply saying, “Where did it go wrong?” he said. “We probably attack badly because we are too old. That must be it, surely?”
There is clear discontent within the Belgium side.
Croatia
Compare that to the Croatian camp where spirits are a lot higher.
In their opening tie, the Croatians played out a dull 0-0 affair against Morocco. Whilst they had a lot of the ball, they failed to get Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic into the game in more advanced positions. This made defending the Croatian attack a lot easier for the Moroccans.
Their second game against Canada was a much better display. Even though they conceded early from a bullet header by Alphonso Davies, they controlled the game, played lovely intricate passes, and created lots of clear-cut chances. This all accumulated in a convincing 4-1 victory over the Canadians, knocking them out of the tournament in the process.
Croatia goes into the game only needing a draw to guarantee qualification into the next round. As for Belgium, they need a win to make sure of qualification. However, if they draw with Croatia, they’ll need a massive favour from Canada who would need to beat Morocco by four goals in order for the Belgians to qualify for the round of 16.
