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| Belgium will need Eden Hazard to be at the peak of his powers |
Belgium arrive in Brazil with a hearty reputation to live up to.
They open up against Algeria on Tuesday having been glowingly spoken of for some months owing to the battery of stars they have around Europe.
Here, Press Association's MatchStory looks at if they can live up to the hype.
Winging it
This Group H clash could well be decided by what goes on down the flanks. Despite an mean defensive record, when the Belgians did slip up it was out wide where they were caught napping - three quarters of their goals conceded from the wings. And their opponents proved just as susceptible, conceding 71 per cent of their goals from out wide.
But, while both teams have demonstrated weaknesses in defending wide areas, they found joy in attacking them. Algeria scored half of their goals from the wings, while Belgium's 61 per cent of goals from wide is the second highest of teams in the finals, ironically behind the team they edged out into second-place in qualifying - Croatia.
Read the rest of my piece for Press Association's MatchStory on ITV Football
Awesome!! Sublimissimo!!
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