4 changes helped Belgium regain form and beat Romania

Belgium had a very important victory over Romania. Photo: UEFA

The problem for Domenico Tedesco is that Belgium were not at all bad in their 1-0 defeat to Slovakia. The Red Devils were the better team and if not for a few VAR decisions, they could have easily won the game.

However, the opening defeat required Tedesco to make some changes. This was the Italian's first big test as Belgium coach. The 38-year-old decided to make four important changes for the match against Romania. In defense, 37-year-old Jan Vertonghen replaced his 17-year-old Anderlecht teammate Zeno Debast. The former Tottenham player is no longer as agile as before. Therefore, the 37-year-old star plays based on experience and strength rather than speed and offside traps.

Despite being 37 years old, Jan Vertonghen still shows solidity in the Belgian national team's defense. Photo: AFP

In addition, Vertonghen does not have to support too much on the left flank thanks to Tedesco's second change. For the past 15 years, from the golden generation to the present, Belgium has always lacked a real left-back.

In the match against Slovakia, Yannick Carrasco was used in this role, which is not the former Atletico Madrid player's preferred position. Against Romania, Tedesco let center-back Arthur Theate take on that role. The young talent born in 2000 played deep and formed a back three when Belgium had possession, with Timothy Castagne pushing forward on the opposite flank. This kept Vertonghen out of position.

In midfield, the substitution of Youri Tielemans for Orel Mangala was crucial. Belgium lacked finesse and creativity in midfield in their opening game. With Mangala and Onana deep, they kept the ball simple but failed to create much of a breakthrough.

For Tielemans, the Aston Villa midfielder not only provided more daring passes, he also scored the opening goal. The 27-year-old star constantly moved forward on the right flank, combining well with Castagne and Lukebakio.

Youri Tielemans celebrates after scoring the opening goal against Romania. Photo: AFP

Lukebakio was the fourth change, replacing Leandro Trossard. This saw Jeremy Doku return to his preferred left-back position. It was a bold move from Tedesco. Doku was a dynamic presence against Slovakia but it was the Man City star who made the mistake of losing the ball that led to the only goal.

In the match against Romania, Doku and Lukebakio seemed to be competing to see who could make more dribbles. Both created a lot of problems for the opponent's defense. Apart from these positive changes, the Belgian team can still rely on the combination of Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne. Lukaku continued to have a goal denied by VAR but he did a very good assist for De Bruyne to score. With that style of play and the ability to play as a wall, the AS Roma striker is like a real "number 9".

However, the Belgian team still has many weaknesses. Tedesco's team missed many good chances and sometimes seemed vulnerable to direct attacks. In the match against Romania, if not for the excellence of goalkeeper Koen Casteels, the "Red Devils" would have lost their advantage.

Leandro Trossard's performance did not meet expectations at EURO 2024. Photo: AFP

Notably, it seems that Trossard is making some teammates uncomfortable after some very personal situations. In the final stages of the match against Romania, the Arsenal striker had many moves that could have combined with Lukaku or Carrasco but he chose to handle it independently. This made Lukaku unhappy. After the match, the AS Roma striker went to congratulate his teammates, while Trossard stood apart from the group.

Belgium still have a decisive battle ahead as all four teams in Group E are currently on three points. Tedesco and his players know that their opponents are also determined in the final match. However, Belgium will certainly be the favorites and perhaps they have found a winning formula thanks to Tedesco's changes.

Source: https://laodong.vn/bong-da-quoc-te/4-thay-doi-giup-doi-tuyen-bi-khoi-phuc-phong-do-va-thang-romania-1356557.ldo