Brussels, June 5 (EFE).- Belgium did its homework against Montenegro tonight, comfortably defeating the Balkans 2-0 in a friendly in preparation for the European Championship in Germany that helped the captain of the Red Devils, Kevin de Bruyne, celebrated his one hundred appearances for the national team with a goal.
The Manchester City midfielder, who made his debut for the Red Devils in August 2010, at the age of 19, did not disappoint fourteen years later and led the Belgian attack with authority, opening spaces and creating opportunities.
And near the end of the first half, fate rewarded him with an almost fortuitous goal when he pushed the ball into an empty goal from about 35 meters after a false clearance by the Balkan defense.
De Bruyne scored his 27th goal for the Red Devils in a match in which the Belgians dominated Montenegro from start to finish, which will not compete in the Euro Cup, and provided a pleasant experience to the crowd at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels against the team he has led since February the former Croatian footballer Robert Prosinecki, a duel that culminated with a penalty goal by Leandro Trossard in the 92nd minute.
The friendly served as a laboratory for Domenico Tedesco, who had warned that he would use the friendly on Wednesday and Saturday against Luxembourg to do tests before facing his first tournament with Belgium, after having coached Leipzig, Spartak Moscow and Shalke 04.
The German-Italian left veterans Romelu Lukaku, Yuri Tieelams and Jan Vertghen in the stands and handed the center forward position to Lois Openda, a 24-year-old Leipzig attacker, who this year has scored 28 goals for the German club.
Openda responded. Very active in attack, with some occasions that could end in a goal, he initiated the play for De Bruyne’s goal in a pass from the Balkan defender Édvin Kuc towards the Sarkic goalkeeper Matija Sarkic.
The forward got along well with De Bruye and also with Yannick Carrasco, a former Atlético de Madrid footballer and now a winger for Saudi Al-Shabab who took over the right wing both in attack and defense.
Tedesco, who will not have Thibaut Courtois in the Euro Cup because the footballer is upset with the coach, placed Wolfsburg goalkeeper Koen Casteels, 31, in goal against Montenegro. And the goalkeeper, who is emerging as a starter for the Euro Cup, did not make mistakes on the few occasions in which he had to intervene.
The coach also started Maxim De Cuyper, a 23-year-old Westerloo defender, for the first time, and in the second half he tried to make a battery of five changes.
De Bruyne, Wout Faes, Carrasco, Amadou Onana, Bakayoko and Meunier left and the Atlético player Axel Witsel, the Sevilla player Dodi Lukebakio, the Manchester City winger Jéremy Doku, the Lyon midfielder on loan to Nottingham Forest Orel Mangala and the Fulham full-back entered. Thimoty Castagne.
The Belgians continued to control the game, with some timid attempts by the Montenegrins, and just before the final whistle, when the Montenegrins were with ten on the field due to expulsion for a double yellow card by Brnovic, a foul by Bakic on Doku generated a penalty that Leandro Trossard converted the final 2-0.
Prosinecki’s men, who among the dozen clubs he played for also included Standard Liege in the 2000-2001 season, suffered their first defeat in their third game with the Croatian on the bench, after victories against North Macedonia and Belarus.
Belgium will also face Luxembourg in a friendly match on Saturday, before traveling to Germany on June 12, where they will compete in the group of Slovakia, Romania and Ukraine.
– Data sheet:
– Belgium: Casteels; Meunier, Debast, Faes (Witsel, m.45), De Cruyper; Vermeern, Onana (Doku, m.45), Bakayoko, De Bruyne (Trossard, m.45), Carrasco (Lukebakio, m.45) and Openda.
0 – Montenegro: Sarkic; Vukcevic, Vujacic, Rubezic, Vesovic (Vukcevic, m.67), Kuc, Brmovic, Camaj, Jovetic (Kosovic, m.67), Osmajic (Bakic, m.87) and Krstovic (Mugosa, m.87).
Goals: 1-0: De Bruyne (m.44); 2-0: Trossard (m.92, penalty).
Referee: Kristoffer Karlsson (SUE). The visitor Brnovic was sent off for a double yellow (m.63 and m.88) and his teammate Bakik was admonished.
Incidents: friendly preparation match for Euro 2024 played at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels. EFE
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