Belgium 2 -1 Nigeria
Mrouanne Fellaini (70’) S.Feghouli (25’)
Dries Mertens (80’)
The final set of fixtures marking the end of round 1 of the Group stage was all set for a showdown between Belgium and Algeria at the Estadio Mineirao in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Belgium is a side that most believe will cause an upset while Algeria could be considered as the minnows of the tournament. Belgian manager, Marc Wilmots preferred to stick to the widely used 4-2-3-1 formation preferring Thibaut Courtois to Simon Mignolet between the posts. Algeria, on the other hand preferred a Christmas tree shaped 4-3-2-1.
First Half: 0-1
Algeria started the game with a defensively sound setup, playing deep and waiting for an opportunity to counter. The Red Devils, on the other hand, seemed to be getting frustrated with Eden Hazard being well marked by Algerian defender, Mehdi Mustafa. Meanwhile, Axel Witsel, seemed to be the man with a purpose in the somewhat rigid Belgian midfield. While most of the gameplay was being controlled by Belgium, Algeria managed to get their opportunity to counter and boy did they make use of it. Belgian defender, Jan Vertonghen bought down Algerian midfielder Sofiane Feghouli in the box to award them a penalty. Feghouli converted to put Algeria in the lead and left the Belgians as well as fans and football analysts worldwide bemused. Towards the closing minutes of the first half, Belgium had their best sight on goal, however, Nacer Chadli squandered the opportunity created by Eden Hazard. With the shocking scoreline, Marc Wilmots had a lot to ponder about with the Algerian defense seeming difficult to break.
Second Half:2-0
The second half started with substitutions made on the Belgian bench. Dries Mertens was bought on for Nacer Chadli who seemed to be the weak link. Despite the Red Devils trying to make inroads in the Algerian defense, it was the North African defender, Carl Medjani who came closest to scoring. With the frustration mounting, a rather unexpected substitution was made when Lukaku was replaced by 19 year old, Divock Origi. Minutes later, Marouane Fellaini was bought on for Dembele. This continued to be the key substitution for the Belgians as he managed to score the equalizer in the 70’. From then on it was game on as the Belgians looked for the elusive goal that would earn them three valuable points. With a lot more purpose in the Belgian game, it was not too late before Dries Mertens put them in the lead via a swift attack involving Eden Hazard. Suddenly, there seemed to be a spark in Eden Hazard’s game as another header by Fellaini forced a brilliant save off the Algerian keeper. The Red Devils dominated the rest of the game creating a couple of more opportunities, however, failing to convert them.
After the unexpected start, the Belgians managed to live up to their reputation. Nevertheless, Marc Wilmots will have to work out a good starting eleven. With his performance you could expect Fellaini to be there. The Algerians on the other hand, could take some positives and if they could maintain their defensive shape for the rest of their fixtures, they could surprise a few critics.
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