Belgium is on the hunt for a historic victory as they prepare to face France in their upcoming Nations League A Group 2 clash in Brussels on Monday. This match holds a significant weight as Belgium aims to achieve their first competitive win over their neighbor in an astonishing 43 years.
The stakes are high for Belgium, who currently trail group leaders Italy by three points and second-placed France by two. With the group stage nearing its midpoint, Belgium needs to secure a top-two finish to qualify for the quarter-finals. A defeat at home, coupled with an anticipated victory for Italy over Israel, could effectively end their hopes of reaching the knockout stages with two rounds remaining.
Coach Domenico Tedesco is urging his players to play with courage and precision against the formidable French side. “We must be brave against France. We won’t get many opportunities and we have to finish the ones we get. We won’t be able to put pressure on them for 90 minutes, so it’s also important to defend well in our own box. It’s going to be a big game,” Tedesco remarked.
Adding to the challenge, Belgium will be without key players Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku, who have opted out of this international window. Despite these absences, Belgium showed resilience in their previous match, earning a 2-2 draw against Italy after being two goals down within 24 minutes.
Tedesco is hoping for a better start against France, who secured a 2-0 win in Lyon when the teams last met in September. He acknowledged the team’s slow start against Italy, stating, “We didn’t start well (against Italy). We wanted to be compact, but we were way too impatient. And that quick (first) goal did not help. We are just human. It is in my character to also talk about the bad things. We must not hide that.”
He added, “But the match lasted 90 minutes, not half an hour. I want to emphasize that we showed a good response. With this young group it was anything but a bad result against Italy.”
The history between these two teams adds another layer of intrigue to the encounter. Belgium has not defeated France in a competitive match since a World Cup qualifier in 1981. Their two victories since then have been in friendly fixtures, the last one occurring in 2015.
“Will the poor results against France from the past discourage us? It can be a motivation. We can actually write history. Of course, we will need a fantastic day if you see who France can select. Then it doesn’t really matter that (Kylian) Mbappe isn’t there,” Tedesco declared.
The absence of Kylian Mbappe, who has also withdrawn from international duty for the October window, adds another twist to this already highly anticipated match. Belgium will need to be at their absolute best to overcome a French team that remains a formidable force even without their star striker. This match promises to be a thrilling encounter as Belgium strives to overcome history and secure a crucial victory in the race for Nations League qualification.
