Belgium's Euro Schedule
| Date | Fixture | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 12th June 8pm | Belgium v Russia | St Petersburg |
| 17th June 5pm | Denmark v Belgium | Copenhagen |
| 21st June 8pm | Finland v Belgium | Copenhagen |
Road to the Euros
Belgium were absolutely dominant during their qualifying campaign. They won all 10 games ?by at least a two-goal margin and it was only their 3-1 home win over Russia that was a somewhat competitive game. Belgium dominated the game but Russia pulled level before a late Eden Hazard goal sealed all three points. That was one of just three goals scored against Belgium’s miserly defence. There was no stand-out scorer at the other end but rather it was a collective effort that saw the Belgians register 40 goals. Lukaku, De Bruyne, Hazard and Batshuayi all chipped in at least four goals apiece and as a group they were as dangerous from set pieces as they were in open play..
Current form
Since the start of their qualifying campaign, Belgium have won nineteen, drawn three and lost just once. They’ve become a formidable force, and while they began their tournament preparations with a 1-1 draw against Greece, that was largely a second string side. They followed that up with a much more organised showing in a 1-0 victory over Croatia on Sunday. Their Nations League campaign saw them record a pair of comfortable wins over Denmark, which could be a dress rehearsal for their European Championship meeting, and a handy 2-0 victory over England. Interestingly, the loss they did suffer was at Wembley (2-1 against England), the place where the two could meet later in the tournament if they both progress and the draw keeps them apart.
Squad assessment
Belgium are strong all over the pitch and they have as much strength in depth as anyone. They boast an extremely experienced defence and arguably one of the tournament's top goalkeepers behind them in Thibaut Courtois. Kevin de Bruyne will be sorely missed in the early stages of the tournament, but marauding full backs Thomas Meunier and Thorgan Hazard can fill the creative void by creating overloads with the tricky duo of Carrasco and Eden Hazard in wide areas. Castagne, Trossard, Mertens and Batshuayi are amongst the capable attacking backups they have in their squad.
Key players
There’s no doubt that Kevin De Bruyne is the star man. The problem for Belgium is he’s going to miss their opening game against Russia, and there’s no guarantee he will be totally ready for their second game either. Although he will remain the key creative cog as Belgium go deeper into the tournament, Eden Hazard will need to be chief creator in his absence and Romelu Lukaku will be the man tasked with putting the ball in the net.
Click below to read more about each of Belgium's Group B opponents: