GEMMILL: BELGIUM CAN BE THE BEST
SCOT GEMMILL last night tipped Belgium as potential Under-21 European Championship winners after they comfortably beat his Scotland side. A first-half penalty from Lois Openda and a volley from Nicolas Raskin after the break secured a deserved win for the visitors at Tannadice. Club Brugge forward Openda and captain Amadou Onana of Lille have experience of playing in the Champions League. And Gemmill rates the Belgians, who have won six out of six to top Group I, as among the finest side his teams have faced. He said: ‘It’s fair to say they are one of the best teams we have played. If you go through their squad they are really impressive. ‘They’ve got players who play at Champions League level but I didn’t think there was a lot in the game. ‘We are disappointed to lose but I thought we were excellent.’ Belgium should have taken the lead when Openda’s chipped ball had Yorbe Vertessen clean through on goal. But as Cieran Slicker came out to block, the PSV Eindhoven striker blasted the ball over the bar.
Belgium were awarded a penalty five minutes before the break when Josh Doig brought down Vertessen on the right corner of the box. Openda stepped up and sent Slicker the wrong way and Hibs left-back Doig was replaced at the break. Gemmill said: ‘Josh has been in (Covid) isolation for ten days and was exhausted, which is what led to the penalty.’ Manchester City kid Lewis Fiorini missed a great chance to equalise in the second half when through on goal when he blasted straight at keeper Senne Lammens. Standard Liege midfielder Raskin had the last laugh when he volleyed in a second from close range three minutes from time. Scotland cannot now catch Belgium while secondplaced Denmark are five points in front of the Scots.