Belgium 3-1 Russia
Eden Hazard put in a man of the match performance tonight as he inspired Belgium to an opening Euro 2020 victory over Russia.
The two strongest sides in Group I were thrown together at the Stade Roi Badouin in Brussels and the Belgium vs Russia clash didn’t disappoint. On his 99th cap for Belgium, Hazard scored a goal in each half to give Roberto Martinez’ Red Devils a crucial early victory.
This generation of Red Devils desperately need to win something to give justice to their undoubted talent, and Hazard was in the mood tonight to set them on the right path. Stanislas Cherchesov’s Russia was in the game right to the end but rarely looked like winning it.
Highlights of the game
Russia would have hoped to have kept Belgium quiet in the early stages, but there was little chance of that as the Red Devils came at them from the off. Michy Batshuayi was clean through on goal but took a bad touch and Marinato Guilherme saved. Russia didn’t heed the warning and they went behind on 15 minutes. Belgium broke in numbers with a slick passing move, and when Youri Tielemans picked the ball up on the edge of the penalty area, he took one touch and then fired a beauty into the bottom right corner.
The defensive frailty which saw Belgium crash out of the UEFA nations League was on show just a minute later, and it was a bizarre piece of goalkeeping by Thibaut Courtois which gifted the Russians an equaliser. The Real Madrid keeper took a back pass and had all the time in the world to clear up field. But instead, he dithered in possession, lost the ball to Denis Cheryshev, and the striker did well to fire home from a difficult angle.
Cheryshev had a superb World Cup, scoring twice in the first game against Saudi, but he couldn’t have imagined opening his Euro account so quickly and with such a helping hand. He won’t mind watching the Euro 2020 highlights … but Courtois will!
Belgium came close to restoring their lead when they broke in numbers from a
Russian corner. The ball was worked to Batshuayi and his low shot was cleared off the line. But the hosts did go ahead again, just on the break, when Hazard jinked into the box and past Yuri Zhirkov who stuck a leg out to give the referee no option but to point to the spot. Hazard made no mistake, firing the penalty kick low and hard into the bottom right corner.
That was the perfect time to score for Martinez’ men as they went into the break at 2-1.
Having sat back for much of the first half, Russia was more proactive at the start of the second and had a presentable chance when Toby Alderweireld handled just outside the box. But Aleksandr Golovin was high and wide with his free kick.
The game became a little scrappy and neither side really looked like scoring again; but it was still in the balance, Russia just needing one goal to pull off an impressive result. The Red Devils came so close to sealing the win though, when Thorgan Hazard collected the ball from his brother Eden, before crossing for Batshuayi whose shot crashed back off the foot of the post.
It was game over on 87 minutes when Belgium worked the ball into the penalty area, and when it bounced off Batshuayi’s heel, Hazard was there to fire the ball home.
Russia finished with ten men when Golovin received a second yellow for a nasty kick.
Key statistics
Here at SBOBET the pre-match Euro 2020 betting odds had the hosts at 1.33 to come out on top and eventually they ran out comfortable winners.
The Red Devils were dominant in the first half with 60 per cent possession and ten shots to two with five to one on target. There was less goalmouth action in the second but, in the end, Belgium’s killer instinct made the difference.
Belgium has now won four of the last five games against Russia and is unbeaten in 16 home matches, but that’s three losses on the bounce now for Russia.
What’s next?
Earlier in the day, Group I kicked off and it was Kazakhstan who got off to a flier, beating Scotland 3-0, and on Sunday they will entertain Russia.
Belgium plays Cyprus, leaders of Group I on goal difference after beating San Marino 5-0.
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