An ex-Prem veteran is still in the heart of their defence aged 37
ROMELU LUKAKU rewrote history during a successful and dramatic qualifying campaign to underline his sublime skill and erratic nature.
The Chelsea striker scored a record 14 goals as Belgium topped Group F.
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Lukaku has spent the season on loan at Roma from the Blues and doesn’t want to go back even though the club could really use his evident finishing prowess.
This summer’s tournament should also witness the emergence of Jeremy Doku as a force on the international stage.
The Manchester City winger, 21, went to the World Cup in 2022 – but 18 months on is a more mature player ready to step into the shoes of retired legend Eden Hazard.
Doku has made his presence felt in his debut season with the defending Premier League champions.
Belgium are always there or thereabouts at big tournaments and one of the fancied teams.
Their qualifying process was marred by tragedy though when the home game against Sweden in Brussels was abandoned with the score at 1-1 after a terrorist attack left Swedes dead.
Uefa ruled that the score would stand as final.
The squad is peppered with Premier League players from Leandro Trossard of Arsenal, Everton’s Amadou Onana, Aston Villa’s Youri Tielemans and City hero Kevin De Bruyne.
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Manager: Domenico Tedesco
Guided Schalke to the Champions League in 2018 but then ran into Man City and a 7-0 defeat ended with the sack.
Italian also led RB Leipzig to a domestic cup triumph and the Europa League semi-finals in 2022.
Inside the ten stunning Euro 2024 stadiums including historic final venue
Key man: Jeremy Doku
Doku does not always figure for Manchester City but is expected to steadily make more of an impact.
A young player with obvious class, he could shine in Germany.
Likely line-up
The Belgians boast a world class attack, with Doku, De Bruyne and Trossard supporting Lukaku.
But the defence is less star-studded, with the likes of 37-year-old former Spurs star Jan Vertonghen and Leicester’s Wout Faes, who has been playing against Championship forwards all season.
How they attack
For the first international tournament in some time Belgium will not be surrounded by talk of the promise of their golden generation.
While the likes of Vertonghen, De Bruyne and Lukaku are still around the squad their game time could be limited as younger players look to take their positions.
Belgium have also changed coach with Roberto Martinez, who has moved on to Portugal.
In attack, they push the opposition back into deeper positions by committing players high and into advanced positions.
Belgium like to attack centrally and break lines through the middle of the pitch.
Tedesco likes his teams to have control of the ball before they move into the final third.
Before they then look to play quickly into the wide areas where they try to have players isolated in space.
As Tedesco favours control his defenders and midfielders interplay.
They use either a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 and the central defenders are comfortable in possession.
The midfielders ahead of the ball are crucial in deeper positions when it comes to rotating back to find space to receive passes from deep.
How they defend
As the opposition are building their attack from deep, Belgium look play in a structured 4-3-3 shape in a medium block.
They will not typically be overly aggressive in terms of jumping high and looking to regain possession.
As the opposition break into the Belgium half, they drop into a block and force the opposition to play wide.
As the opposition enter the final third, Belgium move deep – again their focus and intent is to force the opposition to attack down the outside.
Essentially, the Belgians back themselves to be able to defend crosses from the wide areas.
Prediction
Belgium have a strong side and have the benefit of a good draw.
They should top their group ahead of Romania, Ukraine and Slovakia comfortably before one of best third-placed sides await in the last-16.
Belgium should make the quarter-final at minimum.
Latest odds
William Hill have them as 20/1 to win the tournament.
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