Hazard signs are out for Belgium
BELGIUM take on Tunisia today with their eyes set on the knockout round of the World Cup but fearful that star forward Eden Hazard is set for another bruising encounter.
The Belgians want to win at the Spartak Stadium in Moscow to avoid making their final group game against England on Thursday a make-or-break qualification affair.
The Red Devils opened their account in Russia with a 3-0 win over Panama on Monday, when Romelu Lukaku netted twice, but Hazard was tightly marked.
Belgium coach Roberto Martinez hopes the Chelsea player will not get the same treatment from Tunisia.
“It is a worry that in any of those tackles he could really get hurt,” Belgium’s Spanish coach said.
They are yet to lose to African opposition at a World Cup, while Tunisia have never beaten a European side at a finals.
The experienced Oussama Haddadi is set to replace Ali Maaloul at leftback in the Tunisian defence and Martinez saw plenty of danger for his team in the north Africans’ opening 2-1 defeat to England.
“They have a lot of bravery and they’re very dynamic,” said Martinez.
After seeing Lukaku and Dries Martens grab the goals against Panama, Hazard wants to add some goals of his own.
Hazard, whose younger brother Thorgan is also in a squad considered to be Belgium’s best for decades, is aware of the thirst for success back home.
“We want to win, we won the first game and have another one Saturday against Tunisia,” said Hazard.
Belgium reached the quarterfinals of Brazil 2014 and are aiming to match their previous best of reaching the semifinals at Mexico 1986.
There was some good news for Martinez on Thursday when Barcelona’s Thomas Vermaelen trained for the first time in Russia.
However, Tunisia will not make life easy for Belgium as they seek to provide a bright spot in a poor World Cup for African sides, with Egypt and Morocco already out.
After their defeat to England, their coach Nabil Maaloul wants a focused display in their bid to shock Belgium.
“If we had got a draw it would have been an excellent result for us [against England], but hopefully this will lead to higher levels of concentration,” said Maaloul. —