Belgium prevail 1-0 over Canada in thrilling Group F matchup. Thanks to Michy Batshuayi’s goal in the 44th minute.
The European side, positioned the second-best on the planet, battled to match Canada’s force at the Ahmad Container Ali Arena on Wednesday night however will be grateful to have kept away from a significant irritated about getting away with a success.
Canada will be sorry for a slew of missed chances, including the penalty miss by star player Alphonso Davies after just 11 minutes.
The 22-year-old Canadian was prevented from scoring what would have been their first World Cup goal by Thibaut Courtois’s save.Canada’s only other World Cup appearance was in 1986 in Mexico, where they lost all three games and failed to score once.
Despite the early setback, the Canadian attack continued to press throughout the first 45 minutes, causing damage to the Belgian defense with their speed and keeping Courtois busy.
But Belgium took the lead against the flow of the game when Batshuayi broke through two defenders, took a long ball, and shot past Milan Borjan, the goalkeeper, just before the break.
Batshuayi was only present due to Romelu Lukaku’s injury, which could prevent him from participating in the entire group stage.
The second half was more even, with both teams creating opportunities to score. However, Belgium’s “golden generation” struggles to keep up.
However, in total, Canada had 21 shots on goal, while Belgium’s well-established, star-studded team had nine, which was not very convincing.
The starting lineup consisted of six players in their 30s, four of whom had played more than 100 international games.
It increasingly appears to be the last chance for this group, who have been referred to as a “golden generation” of Belgian footballers, Courtois and key midfielder Kevin De Bruyne may also reach three figures at this World Cup.
After the game, Belgium’s coach Roberto Martinez acknowledged that his team had performed second-best overall, but he hailed the victory as an important foundation upon which the tournament could be built.
In fact, in front of their raucous, maple leaf-waving fans, the mobile, attacking Canadian team made all the best moves.They made 14 shots in the first half alone, the most by a team that didn’t score at the World Cup in 16 years.
While captain Atiba Hutchinson became the oldest outfield player to start a World Cup match at the age of 39, Davies stood out with his driving runs from left back.
However, their failure to convert their numerous chances places them last in Group F, behind Morocco, Croatia, and Belgium, both of whom have one point, and in first place.
Canada will play Croatia on Sunday in their next game, and Belgium will play Morocco on the same day.Martinez’s team would be guaranteed to advance to the knockout stage if they win.