Belgium struggles, but starts the World Cup with a 1-0 victory over Canada.
The victory was thanks to the brilliance of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who saved a penalty kick, and striker Michy Batshuayi, who scored the only goal of the match.
Agency Brazil - It was much more complicated than one might imagine, but Belgium defeated Canada 1-0 on Wednesday afternoon (23) in the first game between the two teams in Group F of the Qatar World Cup. The match was played at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium.
Belgium and Canada are in the same group as Croatia and Morocco, who drew 0-0 on Wednesday morning. Therefore, Belgium leads with three points. Croatia and Morocco have one point each, while Canada has yet to score.
The game's only goal was scored by striker Batshuayi in the 43rd minute of the first half. After a long pass from defender Alderweireld, the center forward, who replaced top scorer Lukaku (out with a left thigh injury) in the first two games, got past defender Vitória and fired the ball into the back of the net past goalkeeper Borjan. However, this must have been the only chance in the first half for the team that eliminated Brazil in the 2018 World Cup (Russia).
The game, especially in the first half, was dominated by Canada. Ten minutes into the game, referee Janny Sikazwe, assisted by VAR (video assistant referee), correctly awarded a penalty to the Americans after Carrasco deflected a Canadian shot with his hand inside the area. However, goalkeeper Courtois saved Alphonso Davies' penalty kick, showing why he was chosen by the magazine. France Football as the best player in the world in his position.
At 12 minutes, the refereeing team made a serious error. Midfielder Hazard passed the ball back to a Canadian striker inside the penalty area. He was brought down by defender Vertonghen, but the play had already been stopped for offside. After that, there were at least three more good Canadian chances. Hoilett, at 15 minutes, with a low shot close to the Belgian right post. Johnston, at 29 minutes, with a powerful shot that Courtois saved at point-blank range. And at 46 minutes, when Buchanan slid in at the edge of the six-yard box to finish off a strong cross from the right, but the ball went over the goal.
In the final stage, both teams made some substitutions and also felt the heat in the city of Al Rayyan. The pace of the game slowed considerably and no major goal-scoring opportunities were recorded, with the score remaining unchanged until the final whistle.
In the second round of the group, Belgium, participating in their third consecutive World Cup and trying to improve on their third place in 2018, will face Morocco, starting at 10 am (Brasilia time) next Sunday (27) at the Al Thumama Stadium. Canada, which returned to a World Cup after a 36-year absence, will play Croatia on the same day, but starting at 13 pm at the Khalifa International Stadium.
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