Defeating England, Belgium finished the World Cup in 3rd place
The "Red Devils" defeated the "Three Lions" 2-0 in the 3rd place match of the 2018 World Cup thanks to goals from Thomas Meunier and Eden Hazard.
As predicted by fans and experts, the 3rd place match of the 2018 World Cup between Belgium and England was very open. The "Red Devils" only needed 4 minutes to penetrate Jordan Pickford's net. Receiving a pass from Lukaku, Chadli escaped down the left wing and crossed for Meunier to run in and score the opening goal of the match.
The lingering effects of the semi-final defeat to Croatia still made England play with less effort than their opponents. Harry Kane and his teammates controlled the ball more in the first half but did not create any clear-cut chances in the first half.
The personnel adjustments in the beginning of the second half helped the "Three Lions" attack improve. Jesse Lingard's speed opened up a lot of space for his teammates, but on a day of poor form, Harry Kane could not take advantage.
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| Harry Kane failed to improve his scoring record at this year's World Cup. |
In the 70th minute, Eric Dier got past Courtois in a one-on-one situation, but center-back Alderweireld was able to retreat and clear the ball right on the goal line to save the Belgian team.
The "Red Devils" actively played defensive counter-attacks and also created many good opportunities. Kevin De Bruyne did everything he could but Lukaku with his poor ball sense continuously missed opportunities regrettably.
In the 82nd minute, another through ball tore through De Bruyne's defense, but this time, Eden Hazard showed the difference from Lukaku with a neat control and finish to seal a 2-0 victory for Belgium.
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| If Lukaku hadn't been wasteful, Belgium could have ended the match sooner. |
England's late efforts were not enough to earn them a consolation goal. Belgium completed a double victory over the Three Lions and deservedly finished third in the 2018 World Cup.
