Belgium responded to their defeat to Italy in their opening game in devastating fashion as a brace from Romelu Lukaku and an Axel Witsel header guided them to a serene 3-0 victory against the Republic of Ireland.
After a fruitless first half, Belgium were finally rewarded for their dominance three minutes into the second half, as Lukaku confidently drove a side-footed shot past Irish custodian Darren Randolph following a brilliant counter-attacking run by Kevin de Bruyne. The lead was doubled 13 minutes later when right-back Thomas Meunier’s cross was headed in by Axel Witsel.
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The finishing touches were applied in the 70th minute, as Eden Hazard made a similarly amazing counter-attacking run as Kevin de Bruyne (for the first goal) to feed Lukaku, who wasted no time slotting home past a hapless Randolph.
We look at the talking points of a relatively one-sided game in Bordeaux:
#1 Belgium respond to Italy defeat in style
After a poor performance in the 2-0 defeat to Italy, Marc Wilmots demanded a response from his Belgian side. They did so in nearly the perfect manner, putting Ireland’s backs to the wall right from start to finish. Their fullbacks were advancing up the pitch and defensive midfielder Axel Witsel was almost playing in a number 10 role behind the striker – reflecting the one-way traffic.
Even when Ireland managed to get some bodies up the pitch, they were thwarted by Belgium’s solid defensive organization. It was a complete performance, one to make other teams wake up and be wary of this Belgian squad.
#2 Kevin de Bruyne produces a masterclass performance
He was on another level today. Kevin de Bruyne delivered what was arguably one of the best performances in the competition yet. He set the tone for a dominant Belgian performance in Bordeaux, making defence-cutting passes and delivering some dangerous balls off set-pieces to keep the Irish defence on its toes. The rest of the team finally responded to an instrumental performance by the playmaker to put Republic of Ireland out of sight in the second half.
He assisted the first goal, charging about 50 yards upfield – skipping past Stephen Ward in the process - and laying the ball off to Romelu Lukaku, who ensured that de Bruyne’s effort was duly rewarded. It was a next-to-flawless display by the 24-year old.
#3 Should Ireland have been given a penalty prior to Belgium’s opener?
Belgium may have dominated the game, but Republic of Ireland could well have had a case for a penalty appeal early in the second half. A cross floating into the Belgium box was approaching striker Shane Long, but he was caught in the face by a high boot from Toby Alderweireld.
There were vehement appeals for a penalty from the Irish, but referee Cuneyt Cakir swiftly waved them away. To add salt to the wound, the resulting counter-attack culminated in Belgium’s opening goal – paving the way for a Belgian thumping. It was a double whammy as far as Martin O’Neill’s side was concerned and it is a decision that will not go down well with the Irish team and the fans.
#4 Ireland’s lack of creativity in attack their Achilles Heel
Republic of Ireland knew that the only way they could get a result was to absorb all the Belgian pressure and then attempt to catch them on the break. However, once they had possession, they had very little clue finding methods to unlock the Belgian defence. They gave possession away too cheaply and seldom managed to deliver a quality cross for lone striker Shane Long to exploit.
It was a tepid display in the attacking third from the Irish, showing very little intent to take the game to Belgium. The decision to replace Shane Long for Robbie Keane – rather than play them alongside each other – suggested that the Irish management’s intent was to ensure damage control rather than force a comeback. With just a single point from 2 games and a must-win game against Italy coming up, they must look for ways to improve their attacking index.
#5 Belgium’s consistency will be tested against Sweden
Belgium may have bounced back from their previous defeat, but questions will be asked about their ability to play to their potential on a regular basis. Romelu Lukaku, for example, was scratchy in the first half – barely getting into goal-scoring positions - but managed to find his rhythm in the second period to bag a brace. Toby Alderweireld was also uncertain in the first half – fluffing his lines on a couple of occasions before recovering to shut out any threat the Irish could provide.
They were cohesive as a team for pretty much the entire second half, but if they want to go all the way in this competition, they must look to gel as a unit right from the first whistle and put the opposition on the back-foot. Their consistency will definitely come under examination when they take the field against Sweden four days later. If they can replicate the second-half performance against Ireland for 90 minutes on Wednesday, then they may definitely be considered as a frontrunner to make it to the final in a few weeks’ time.
