Belgium vs Russia
European Championship this season
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Preview: Belgium vs Russia
In a thrilling showdown at the Krestovsky Stadium, world number one Belgium, fresh from an impressive unbeaten streak, face off against Russia, aiming to rekindle their Euro magic, as both teams make their highly anticipated Group-B debut at Euro 2020.
Belgium
Unbeaten in their last six games across all international competitions (WWDWDW), Belgium are set to make their Group-B debut at Euro 2020. The Red Devils come into the tournament following a win against Croatia on June 6th, where they claimed victory with a 1-0 scoreline in an international friendly match.
It was Romelu Lukaku, the prolific Inter Milan striker, who found the back of the net in the 38th minute, marking his 60th goal for Belgium. Before this win, Belgium secured a 1-1 draw against Greece in another international friendly on June 3rd.
Ranked number 1 in FIFA's world rankings for men's national teams, Belgium breezed through qualifying—scoring 40 goals and conceding only 3, achieving 10 wins in 10 games. Under the guidance of coach Roberto Martinez, who previously managed Everton from 2013–2016, Belgium have 43 wins, 9 draws, and 4 losses after 53 games since he took charge in August 2016.
Martinez has a formidable squad at his disposal, including Real Madrid's Thibaut Courtois, Tottenham's Toby Alderweireld, and Vissel Kobe's Thomas Vermaelen. Also on the roster are FA Cup winner Timothy Castagne from Leicester City, La Liga title winner Yannick Carrasco from Atlético Madrid, and Premier League winner Kevin De Bruyne from Manchester City, although De Bruyne is under assessment for an eye socket fracture.
The DFB-Pokal winning duo from Borussia Dortmund, Thorgan Hazard and Thomas Meunier, will also feature. Martinez’s 3-4-3 formation is expected to have Lukaku leading the attack as a centre-forward, supported by players on the flanks.
Russia
Russia defeated Bulgaria on the 5th of June during an international friendly match. Aleksandr Sobolev scored the only goal from the penalty spot at the 84th minute, securing Russia's third victory in their last six games across all competitions: LWWLDW.
Prior to this win, Russia settled for a 1-1 draw against Poland in another international friendly on the 1st of June. Coach Stanislav Cherchesov, who took charge on the 11th of August 2016, has managed a 43% win rate after overseeing 54 games: 23 wins, 13 draws, and 18 losses.
For the upcoming match on Saturday, Russia's lineup options include CSKA Moskva's Anton Zabolotny and Spartak Moskva's Aleksandr Sobolev, along with Zenit's duo Yuri Zhirkov and Vyacheslav Karavaev. Aleksei Miranchuk from Atalanta and Denis Cheryshev from Valencia are also in the squad.
Currently ranked 38th in FIFA's list for men's national football teams, Russia's best performance was reaching the semi-finals in Euro 2008. A 3-4-2-1 formation is anticipated for their first UEFA Euro 2020 appearance on Saturday.
Team form
Showing the latest five games—giving you a quick look at recent performance trends. Teams in good form tend to do well in the next match.
Team Comparison
Side-by-side assessment of team statistics, including goals, attacks, and more. This allows you to directly compare key performance metrics. Analyzing these stats can reveal patterns and strengths that might influence the outcome.