Belgium rebounded from a tough first up loss to Italy with a resounding 3-0 win over the Republic of Ireland.
It was scoreless at halftime before the Belgian side took control soon after the match had restarted. A double to Romelu Lukaku either side of an Axel Witsel header was more than enough to get by a gallant Irish side that desperately fought against their much more talented opponents.
First half follows the script
Almost immediately after the ball was kicked off things began to play out as expected. Belgium pressed forward looking to assert their superiority while the Irish side dropped every available body bar Shane Long behind the ball trying to thwart the attacks coming their way.
As Belgium’s midfield buzzed around the pitch trying to find an opening the Irish side were able to do just enough to keep them at bay going into halftime. They had their nervous moments though after a Belgium goal was correctly called back for offside and another corner was cleared off the line.
An isolated figure at the top of the Irish formation, Shane Long cut a frustrated figure as he battled with Thomas Vermaelen and Toby Alderweireld with minimal support from his teammates.
The physical battle with those two defenders drew their share of debatable calls against the Irish striker which saw him lucky to escape a booking as his frustrations grew. Right on halftime, he stretched for a ball and managed to collect Yannick Carrasco which brought on some debate about the intent but the fact he went in with studs down suggests it was an attempt on the ball that was overcooked.
On the rare occasion he was able to bring a ball down and get it under control, his supporting runners were still making their way out of defence and in position to help him out. In the early stages of the second half there was a perfect summary of his afternoon as he had a penalty shout turned down in the lead up to the first Belgian goal despite replays showing a reckless high boot. His effort throughout the game deserves credit, however it was clearly not his day and he was taken off with just under fifteen minutes to play.
De Bruyne makes de difference
An influential figure in the first half, Kevin De Bruyne came out for the second half ready to take over the game and he did just that by setting up the game’s first goal. Capitalising on a break down the right flank, he found Romelu Lukaku who got a shot off before the Irish backline could close him down.
It was something that De Bruyne had been teasing his ability to do all game and it finally paid off. For Belgium to have success in this tournament and down the line, the relationship between De Bruyne and Lukaku is something that must continue to develop.
Belgium’s class shows
It’s a description that is used way too much and often in the wrong context but the class of the Belgian side was the difference in the second half.
As Ireland were forced to chase the game and open themselves up a bit more, their defenders were left exposed more often as the midfield tried to create more attacking opportunities. For the second Belgian goal, Thomas Meunier put in a near perfect cross which Axel Witsel finished with a powerful header that Randolph could not keep out. As the Irish defenders swarmed Lukaku to try and stop him scoring, Witsel was allowed a free run from midfield with nobody tracking him.
What’s next?
As the game progressed it became increasingly like a FIFA match where the computer opposition attacked while the user countered and ran up the score. Lukaku added a second goal finishing off a two on one set up by Eden Hazard, who was trying to atone for an earlier miss.
While there is still a mathematical chance of progression, this result effectively ends Ireland’s tournament as they need to beat the in-form Italians. For Belgium the equation is simple, beat Sweden and topping the group is a possibility, nice and simple, right?
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