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Belgium will be aiming to make it three wins in a row when they take on Finland on Monday at the Krestovsky Stadium in Saint Petersburg. The Red Devils have justified their number 1 place in FIFA World Ranking by playing a great brand of football in UEFA Euro 2020.
Belgium started off their campaign at this very stadium against Russia. Despite missing their midfield maestro Kevin de Bryune owing to a facial injury, Roberto Martinez’s men were able to bag all three points without breaking a sweat.
Romelu Lukaku and Thomas Meunier gave the visitors a 2-0 lead in the first half, while in the second half, Lukaku scored his second and his team’s third goal. Their second game, however, was not as comfortable.
Belgium conceded first against Denmark and trailed 1-0 right till the 55th minute, when Thorgan Hazard scored the equalizer. De Bruyne, who was playing his first game since suffering an injury in the UEFA Champions League final, made it 2-1 for the Red Devils.
With six points from the two matches, Belgium have already booked their place in the round of 16. While they are likely to finish as the table-toppers even if they lose this game, Martinez’s men will be aiming to finish their group stage campaign on a high thanks to their healthy goal difference.
Not many had expected Finland to content for a round of 16 places by matchday 3. But the Huuhkajat could well script history, yet again. Finland won their first-ever game at the Euros by beating Denmark 1-0, and while that match will be remembered for anything but the scoreline, it has provided Markku Kanerva’s men with three valuable points.
Had it not been for Aleksei Miranchuk’s splendid strike, they could have secured a draw against Russia in their second match. A draw here will guarantee them a top-three finish in Group B, while it can also hand them second place, depending on the outcome of the match between Russia and Denmark.
Both Russia and Finland have three points in their account, but Russia are currently occupying the second place, as they won their match against Teemu Pukki & Co. If Russia are victorious against Denmark today, Finland will finish in third place even with a defeat against Belgium, and will have to wait for the completion of all group stage matches to know about their fate. If Denmark gets the better of Russia today, Finland will need at least a draw to finish second, as if they don’t, the calculation will come to goal difference.
Key Players
Though Kevin de Bruyne has just returned from injury, Martinez has hinted at giving him a start in this match, so as to get more minutes under the midfielder’s belt ahead of the knockouts. The vice-captain of Belgium made only a substitute appearance against Denmark, but it was his cameo which changed the game for the visitors. Not only did he score the winner, but de Bruyne also played a major role in Thorgan Hazard equalizer.
Just like the Belgian vice-captain, the captain Eden Hazard is also likely to be handed a start in today’s match. Match fitness has been an issue for the 30-year-old, as he played only 21 matches for Real Madrid in the 2020/21 season. He made substitute appearances in Belgium’s first two group stage matches and will be aiming to have a much bigger influence against Finland. Hazard is the second-highest goal-scorer in Belgium’s current squad, despite not having scored in over a year and a half. Onus will be on Hazard to find the back of the net, if Lukaku is rested for this match.
Teemu Pukki played a significant role in the qualification phase for Finland, and if they are to qualify for the Round of 16, he will have to lead the charge once again. The Norwich City striker is just two goals away from reaching the legendary Jari Litmanen’s tally of 32 goals for the national team.
Finland will have to prevent Belgium from dominating the midfield, and that daunting task will fall to Glen Kamara. The Rangers midfielder is proving why many clubs in the Premier League are monitoring his progress. The former Arsenal player did well against Denmark and Russia.
Prediction
Interestingly, if we go by head-to-head records, there is not much to separate the two teams. Belgium have beaten Finland thrice, while the Eagle-owls have got the better of the Red Devils on four occasions.
That being said, it has to be taken into account that the last meeting between these two teams was in 2016, and Belgium have improved leaps and bounds in the last few years. Roberto Mancini’s men are unbeaten in their last 11 games.
On the contrary, Finland have won only one of their last eight matches. Hence, even if they field a second-string team today, Belgium is likely to get a comfortable victory against Finland, confirming their pole position in Group B.
