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Belgium beat Romania 2-0 on Saturday, June 22 at the Cologne Stadium to bounce back post their defeat to Slovakia earlier this week.
Youri Tielemans opened the scoring in the second minute of the game to set the tone for Belgium. Romelu Lukaku set up the Leicester City midfielder to blow the game wide open. The Red Devils still looked hungry and continued their pursuit of their second of the night. Romania came close on certain occasions, but Belgium's grit yielded no response.
Kevin de Bruyne and Jeremy Doku looked quite sharp on the ball and kept feeding the attackers upfront. The Manchester City teammates were wreaking havoc higher up the pitch. De Bruyne too got a goal to show for his classy performance in the 79th minute of the game to seal the deal for his side.
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On that note, let's take a look at the player ratings for Belgium.
Belgium Player Ratings
Koen Casteels - 7/10
Koen Casteels was reliable between the sticks and did his job well. Earned a well deserved clean sheet. Casteels made a great save to deny Dennis Man.
Wout Faes - 7.5/10
Wout Faes had a decent game at the back. The Leicester City defender was always in control as he managed to deal with the threat of Denis Dragus. Faes completed the most number of passes (68) and won three tackles throughout the game.
Jan Vertonghen - 7.5/10
The 37-year-old veteran showed his class tonight and led the back-line for Belgium. Jan Vertonghen slotted in perfectly between Faes and Arthur Theate and dictated the proceedings at the back.
Arthur Theate - 7/10
Arthur Theate was a strong presence at the back specially when it came to aerial challenges. The 24-year-old won seven duels, made four clearances, won two tackles, made one interception and created one chance throughout his stay on the pitch. Theate had be taken off in the 77th minute following an injury scare.
Timothy Castagne - 6.5/10
Timothy Castagne had a mixed bag as he managed to do his job ultimately but was caught out of possession on multiple occasions. He also looked nervy during certain sequences.
Youri Tielemans - 8/10
Youri Tielemans gave Belgium the breakthrough early and eased the game for them. Always looked to move forward whenever in possession and added dynamism to his side's midfield.
Amadou Onana - 7/10
Amadou Onana had a lasting impact on the game as he made his presence felt in the center with some darting runs. He won four duels, made four recoveries, cleared the ball twice, won two tackles and made one interception throughout the game.
Jeremy Doku - 8/10
Jeremy Doku lit up the left flank with his flair and fiery pace. He looked like a constant threat upfront as he kept the Romanian defenders busy. The Manchester City winger created five chances and completed three dribbles throughout his stay on the pitch. Was heavily involved in all of Belgium's attacks.
Dodi Lukebakio - 6/10
Dodi Lukebakio did not have the best of games as he fluffed a major opportunity. His finishing and composure let him down. Also, he will miss Belgium's upcoming group game after picking up his second yellow card of the campaign.
Kevin de Bruyne - 9/10
Kevin de Bruyne was Belgium's star on the night. He oozed class and got his well deserved goal in the 79th minute of the game. The Manchester City star completed three dribbles, won 11 duels, was the most fouled player (4), made three recoveries and won one tackle. His passing and vision to read the game was too quick for the opposition side to comprehend.
Romelu Lukaku - 7.5/10
Romelu Lukaku set up Tielemans' opening goal of the game and almost had one to his name himself, but it was ruled out for offside. He showed his strength as he held off the Romanian back-line on various occasions. Will be hoping to open his tally in the upcoming fixtures.
Substitutes
Leandro Trossard - 5/10
Leandro Trossard was too slow on the ball and disrupted quite a few opportunities in the process. Needs to do better.
Orel Mangala - 5.5/10
Did not have much impact on the game.
Yannick Carrasco - 7/10
Yannick Carrasco made a lasting impression as his run led to De Bruyne's goal.
Zeno Debast - 6/10
Added the defensive solidarity at the back.
