Highly regarded Belgium must live up to hype
Underdogs Japan no pushovers after conquering a tricky group including Colombia, Poland and Senegal
For the second World Cup in succession, Belgium have swept through the group stage with three wins and stylish football.
Now the highly regarded team need to prove they have more substance than they did four years ago, when the Red Devils went out at the quarter-final stage. There is so much hype surrounding this Belgium side, anything but a semi-final appearance — matching the nation’s best achievement in 1986 — will be deemed a disappointment.
Barring group winners Belgium’s route to the last eight this time is Japan — they meet tomorrow in Rostov-on-Don.
Japan emerged against most expectations from a tricky group containing Colombia, Poland and Senegal — three sides with greater firepower. The manner of Japan’s qualification will probably not send waves of fear into a Belgium squad which is as technically gifted as it is deep.
Belgium averaged three goals per game, and looked flashy even when playing mostly reserves against England in winning the last group game.
The Japanese only just squeezed through, taking a route no team has ever taken out of a World Cup group. Japan and Senegal finished with four points each, had the same goal differential, scored the same number of goals and even drew 2-2, sending it to a tiebreaker being used at the World Cup for the first time: disciplinary record.
Japan only advanced because they received fewer yellow cards than Senegal.
Now they are up against arguably the most well-balanced and complete side in the competition.
Best goalkeeper
Belgium have one of the world’s best goalkeepers in Thibaut Courtois — who has yet to make the same blunders befalling other bigname goalies here in Russia — a superb orchestrator of attacks in the wonderfully gifted Eden Hazard and a lethal finisher in striker Romelu Lukaku.
Despite being only 25 years old, the powerfully built Lukaku already has 40 international goals — including four so far in Russia. This puts him level with Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo, and one behind England striker Harry Kane in the race to finish top scorer at the World Cup.
Japan coach Akira Nishino has his work cut out containing Belgium’s free-flowing attacks. Even if he manages to keep Hazard quiet, there are still multiple threats.
De Bruyne has proved to be an exquisite passer with Premier League champion Manchester City, and is especially dangerous with long-range passes and crosses. Mertens has a more unpredictable style of play, but has mesmerisingly quick feet, an even quicker brain and — despite his diminutive size — he is hard to knock off the ball.