Belgium is the top country in the world according to the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings and on Sunday, they showed why against Kazakhstan in the UEFA European Qualifiers.
The Red Devils have a comfortable lead in Group I through eight games in the qualifying stage of the tournament. Their squad is full of world-class talent, including Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois, and Michy Batshuayi who opened up the scoring for Belgium in the 21st minute.
Roberto Martínez’s squad would go on to add a second goal in the 53rd minute following some brilliant play from Real Madrid’s Hazard and Paris Saint-Germain’s Thomas Meunier.
Quelle passe d’Eden Hazard, pour le but de Thomas Meunier ! #KAZBEL
Kazakhstan 🇰🇿 0-2 🇧🇪 Belgique !https://t.co/EE5DPAaCQc
— Feuille de Match (@feuille_match) October 13, 2019
Hazard, from just over halfway, picked out a pass to Meunier who was playing slightly forward in Martínez’s three-at-the-back system.
1⃣1⃣ 💪 Here are our boys again 🇧🇪😄 #KAZBEL #EURO2020 #COMEONBELGIUM#SelectedbyPwC pic.twitter.com/HMpYCQx7r3
— Belgian Red Devils (@BelRedDevils) October 13, 2019
The Paris Saint-Germain right-back controlled the long pass with the kind of control you would expect from a more attacking player and not even Neymar Jr. could have finished the play better.
Meunier is coming up at the end of his contract at PSG and there are no reports that the club will be offering him an extension. On our recent podcast, ESPN FC‘s PSG correspondent Jonathan Johnson commented that Meunier is keen on staying in Paris but the club may perhaps be ready to move on.
After watching this goal though, the extension may be forthcoming.
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