Belgium announced their 26 man squad list for the upcoming European Championship in the summer. For a reminder, this time the number of players in the squad for the competition has risen from 23 to 26. Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne are going to another showpiece event to make their mark. They count as one of the favorites to lift the European Championship this summer.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Simon Mignolet (Club Brugge) and Matz Sels (Strasbourg)
Defenders: Toby Alderweirld (Tottenham Hotspurs), Dedryck Boyata (Hertha Berlin), Jason Denayer (Lyon), Thomas Vermaelen (Vissel Kobe), Jan Vertonghen (Benfica)
Wing Backs: Yannick Carrasco (Atletico Madrid), Timothy Castagne (Leicester City), Nacer Chadli (Istanbul Basaksehir), Thorgan Hazard (Borussia Dortmund), Thomas Meunier (Borussia Dortmund)
Midfielders: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Leander Dendoncker (Wolverhampton), Dennis Praet (Leicester City), Youri Tielemans (Leicester City), Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge), Axel Witsel (Borussia Dortmund)
Forwards: Jeremy Doku (Stade Rennes), Eden Hazard (Real Madrid), Dries Mertens (Napoli), Leandro Trossard (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Strikers: Michy Batshuayi (Crystal Palace), Christian Benteke (Crystal Palace), Romelu Lukaku (Inter)
Key player: Kevin De Bruyne
Romelu Lukaku has turned into a fecund goalscorer at Inter and has been consistent with the national team too. He will spearhead the attack alongside Eden Hazard. But the midfield architect is the most important player in the team. Kevin De Bruyne is having yet another sensational season with Manchester City, guiding the club to a Premier League title and possibly the Champions League. His class act from the middle of the park is not new but worth mentioning again and again. De Bruyne's vision, tenacity, creativity and delivering insane passes to the forward line make him one of the most dangerous playmakers in football. Belgium's hopes for a trophy is resting on his shoulders.
Strength (Midfield) :
Without a doubt, Belgium's midfield is the main fulcrum of the team. The attack does carry a plethora of goal scorers but they all need someone to link up. Kevin De Bruyne's task will be the same as at the club level being the master of assists. Leicester City's dynamic midfielder Youri Tielemans already scored a screamer in the FA Cup final victory. He can be an extra attacking edge if required although his duty will accumulate the space behind De Bruyne to free him up. Dortmund's Axel Witsel is the tactically versed defensive midfielder manager Martinez demands. In addition to that, youngster Jeremy Doku with the experiences of Dries Mertens, Hazard brothers and Lukaku will turn the heat up in the attack.
Weakness (Defense) :
The weakness in the defense is not necessarily leaking goals. The average age of the first-choice center backs is 33 years. There is also a lack of mobility in their feet at this age. The cut of pace can prove costly against speedy attackers in a big tournament like this. However, most of them have a bag full of experiences playing in the top leagues of Europe and sustain a commanding nature, a crucial factor. Belgium will play in a wing-back system so they have flashy attackers slotting in the role. Their defensive nature could be put into question but their decisiveness in the final third is all that is required. There is no such thing embedded with Thibaut Courtois though. The 6'7" long goalkeeper is the ultimate fort guard the Red Devils need. He will be hoping to grab another golden glove in a major tournament.
Belgium's current squad is better than the one that competed in the previous edition of the Euros in 2016. Back then, they were eliminated by Wales in the Quarterfinal stages of the competition. This time though hopes are high. The Red Devils have been a great team without winning any prize and will be dancing the 2020 Euros to finally quench their thirst.
For more information, Stay tuned to our section Euro 2020
