The Red Devils’ strengths (and weaknesses) after the group stage: “Lukaku becomes the player who stops”

Most important thing first: We won, and completed a clear run. Or is this a very rosy read?

“That seems to me to be the most important reading. We finished the first round in a very business-like fashion, in energy saving mode. You usually see that: teams that go the farthest in the tournament start that way. Without wasting too much energy. You just have to You play with the same force as the opponent obliges you.”

It was tough, but we played with a lot of different players than the previous games.

“It was a team that wasn’t released. In fact, Martinez turned the whole team around, with triple-defender Vermaelen-Denaier-Boyata, Duku and Trussard on the right and Shadley on the left. However, we gave almost nothing. If Lukaku wasn’t offside by half, It would have been 0-1 much earlier. The match against the Finns, and in fact the entire first group stage, was problem-free.”

De Bruyne, Witsel and Hazard, who were all injured before the European Championships, played the entire match.

“Hit again That Kevin De Bruyne is world class. And it seems that Axel Witsel never left. Well, yesterday was slow as well, so it wasn’t fully tested either.”

“It was more difficult with Eden Hazard. He doesn’t seem to be doing well yet. I think that’s going to be one or two flashes per game. That short turn and then acceleration: that hasn’t been achieved yet.”

Another note: Romelu Lukaku scored his goal again.

“Lukaku becomes the player who stops at every opponent who comes now. Together with De Bruyne. His goal is obviously to become a top scorer, otherwise he would have played only half an hour yesterday, or would have come for half an hour. Now he is only substituted after 0 -2, after he scored.

she has Superstar Jeremy Duques Now occupied the starting point for the rest of the tournament?

“I don’t think so. I think they’ll bring in Doku when the opponent is tired a little bit more, when there are holes. We already have a lot of speed in the team anyway, but Doku can really hurt the opponent even with extra speed.”

“Dries Mertens is a little smarter in interaction, a little cleaner in passing. I think he will start, but in sweltering Seville (where the Devils play their eighth final) he will have to be replaced anyway.”

Does this third win in a row give courage to the eighth final?

“It definitely gives you courage, especially since you haven’t lost a lot of strength yet. Russia was very weak, Finland barely created any chances. I think Thibaut Courtois only had to catch a ball once.”

“In the eighth final he will be an opponent of a different level anyway. It won’t be clear until tomorrow who our opponent will be, but countries like Slovakia or the Czech Republic have hard-to-score teams against. The goal is to keep things closed in the back. I think we’ll play the rest of the tournament as is. The case against Finland: we just push really hard every now and then. Belgium really remains a counter team, with our pace.”

If we do that, then the quarter-final against Italy looks like a tough challenge.

“First they have to beat Austria of course. Italy is playing better than Belgium at the moment, that’s right. You can’t choose who you play against, but If you want to win, you have to defeat everyone. ”

“I think they are afraid of Lukaku. These Italian defenders know his qualities of course. He is still the best goalscorer and best player in the league, so I think they will play differently against him.”