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Belgium and Ivory Coast played out a 1-1 draw at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, with Michy Batshuayi and Franck Kessie finding the back of the net for both sides.
After a goalless first half, new Napoli man Batshuayi put Belgium ahead in the 53rd minute, converting from close range after his initial shot had been saved by Sylvain Gbohouo.
This seemed to spark the Europeans into life, and the Belgians controlled most of the rest of the game. However, just when it seemed like they were poised for victory, Sebastiaan Bornauw was penalised for fouling Wilfried Zaha in the penalty area.
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Franck Kessie stepped up to convert the ensuing spot-kick in the 87th minute and on the overall balance of play, a draw was probably the right result.
Up next for Belgium will be a Matchday 3 clash with England in the Nations League while Ivory Coast will trade tackles with Japan in another friendly next Tuesday.
Here, we shall have a rundown of five talking points from the fixture.
#5 High-profile friendly fails to live up to expectation
Despite being a friendly, fireworks were expected in the game given the pedigree of both sides but it failed to match the standards expected.
In what was a drab opening 45 minutes, neither side managed to fashion a shot on target and at full-time, both sides had tested the goalkeeper just five times between themselves.
For most of the game, the two teams huffed and puffed but were let down by indecisiveness in the final third.
Perhaps safe in the knowledge that there was nothing attached to the game, neither side really went all out for the victory and were content to play the game at mid-tempo.
Considering that talented players like Zaha, Divock Origi, Kessie, Nicolas Pepe, and Leandro Trossard were on parade, this was rather disappointing.
#4 Roberto Martinez named heavily rotated side ahead of marquee fixtures for Belgium
As already indicated, Belgium have a mega clash with England this Sunday in the Nations League and after their match with the Three Lions, another tricky test awaits them when they travel to take on Iceland next Wednesday in the same competition.
These two games have a lot more riding on them than the clash with Ivory Coast and it was with this in mind that Roberto Martinez named the Belgium starting line-up.
The former Everton manager gave starts to fringe players like Origi, Batshuayi, Dendoncker and Jeremy Doku while his usual star men like Eden Hazard, Kevin de Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Thibaut Courtois were not even named on the substitutes bench.
It would be back to the status quo come Sunday, and this game gave these players a chance to stake a claim for their place in the Belgium squad for the Euro next year. However, on evidence of their displays, Martinez would not be having too many headaches.
#3 Belgium's winning run comes to an end
The current Belgium squad is unarguably the most talented generation of players in the country's footballing history, and almost every position in the team is full of three or more world-class players.
The likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard are widely considered among the best players in the world and are ably supported by a competent cast including names like Dries Mertens, Thorgan Hazard and Romelu Lukaku.
Belgium came into this clash with Ivory Coast on a 12-game winning run that had seen them pick up victories across games in the Nations League and Euro qualification.
The last time they failed to pick up a victory was in November 2018 when they fell to a shock 5-2 defeat to Switzerland in the final match of the Nations League and since then, the Benelux nation won their next 12 games by an aggregate scoreline of 46-4.
This draw means that Belgium have failed to pick up a win for the first time in almost two years. Considering that it was a friendly, however, Roberto Martinez would not read too much into it.
#2 Michy Batshuayi takes opportunity
It is no hidden secret that Romelu Lukaku is the first-choice striker for Belgium, and the focus is on who would be his back-up option at the European Championship next year.
In many ways, this game offered an opportunity for the two men in the running to stake a claim for the spot.
Both Divock Origi and Michy Batshuayi are the two players most likely to act as the back-up option upfront, and both players were handed starts in the clash with Ivory Coast.
However, it was the Napoli man who shone the brightest, breaking the deadlock with an expert poacher's finish while the out-of-favour Liverpool man was left in his shadows.
#1 Ivory Coast show that they have what it takes to compete with the best in the world
For most of the last two decades, Ivory Coast have been blessed with world-class players who strutted their stuff with the biggest clubs in the world.
Players like Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure made an impact on the global game and of the greatest travesties of the last decade was that the 'Golden Generation' of Ivorian football failed to truly shine at the international level.
Despite the departures of Drogba and co., the current crop is still well-stocked with quality. The likes of Wilfried Zaha, Nicolas Pepe, Franck Kessie, and Gervinho all have what it takes to unlock any defence on their day.
They came up against a Belgium side that, although was lacking their usual names, still had players who play at the highest levels.
Despite this, the Elephants held their own for 90 minutes and gave the Europeans as good as they got.
Although it was only a friendly fixture, this result, coupled with their 3-0 victory over Colombia last year, served as a reminder that Ivory Coast have what it takes to go toe-to-toe with the best nations in the world.
