Afghanistan
Angola
Argentina
Asia (AFC)
Asian Games
Australia
Belgium-Netherlands
Brazil
Burkina Faso
Central American & Caribbean Games
Central American Games
Congo DR
Denmark
England
Europe (UEFA)
FYR Macedonia
Finland
Germany
Greece
International Tournaments
Italy
Mediterranean Games
Mexico
National
Nepal
North & Central America (Concacaf)
Palestine
Pan American Games
Panama
Russia
Scandinavia
Serbia And Montenegro
South American Games
Spain
Syria
USA
World (FIFA)
Yemen
Zimbabwe

Belgiumvs.Luxembourg

sportsmole.co.uk, 6 June 2024, 16:45
Belgium conclude their preparations for Euro 2024 by squaring off against Luxembourg in Brussels on Saturday night.

While the Red Devils are going through the motions ahead of another major tournament, the visitors will want to find some form ahead of their upcoming UEFA Nations League campaign.

Match preview

Few bookmakers are fancying Belgium to make a major play for this year's European Championship, yet Domenico Tedesco will be delighted with the trajectory of his side.

Belgium have not suffered a single defeat since the 2022 World Cup, with Tedesco recording the ninth win of his 13-game reign against Montenegro earlier this week.

Kevin De Bruyne and Leandro Trossard scored at the end of each half to secure a 2-0 victory in Brussels, Tedesco making a point of limiting many players to just 45 minutes of action.

A fourth clean sheet in five games was also posted, the only goals that have been conceded during that period being a penalty and last-gasp equaliser against England at Wembley Stadium.

Tedesco will hope that this is the ideal fixture for Belgium to add another victory to their collection, yet Luxembourg will be hoping to cause a surprise on their travels.

That did not materialise earlier this week as they succumbed to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of France in Metz with Kylian Mbappe among the goalscorers for the home side.

Luc Holtz will be content with Luxembourg's effort and form in general, though, with three victories having been recorded in their previous four fixtures.

Bosnia-Herzegovina, Liechtenstein and Kazakhstan have all been defeated, with the only loss coming in an away friendly with Georgia.

This is Luxembourg's final game before they head into what they will feel is a winnable UEFA Nations group with Northern Ireland, Belarus and Bulgaria.

A decade has passed since these two nations last met, with Belgium prevailing 5-1 on that occasion having initially been pegged back by a 13th-minute equaliser by a Luxembourg team that were far more inferior than what they are now.

Belgium form (all competitions):

D

W

W

D

D

W

Luxembourg form (all competitions):

L

W

W

L

W

L

Team News

Tedesco will likely look to hand a recall to Romelu Lukaku after he was left out entirely against Montenegro.

Youri Tielemans is another player who finds himself in the same situation, but changes may be few and far between given that so many players were provided with 45 minutes last time out.

The outfield players who played 90 minutes - Zeno Debast, Maxim De Cuyper, Arthur Vermeeren and Lois Openda - could all drop out.

Sebastien Thill and Mirza Mustafic both sustained injuries during the defeat in France and are not expected to feature here.

Mustafic had initially been introduced to replace the latter, so an opportunity given to Chris Philipps may prove to be the only change made to the Luxembourg XI.

Belgium possible starting lineup:

Casteels; Meunier, Witsel, Vertonghen, Castagne; Mangala, Onana; Bakayoko, De Bruyne, Doku; Lukaku

Luxembourg possible starting lineup:

Moris; Dzogovic, Chanot, Mahmutovic; Jans; Martins Pereira; Sinani, Philipps, Olesen, Carlson; Rodrigues

We say: Belgium 4-0 Luxembourg

With Tedesco naturally wanting to step up the sharpness of some of his players, this could end up being one-way traffic. Luxembourg have their own qualities, yet they may struggle to withstand Belgium's attacking flair on this occasion.

Previews by email

Top News

25 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Netherlands vs. Austria (Tuesday, 5.00pm) Requiring just one point to ensure a place in the knockout phase of Euro 2024, the Netherlands meet Austria for their final Group D fixture on Tuesday. 25 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Fulham are reportedly interested in signing former Arsenal midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles this summer. 24 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Atletico Goianiense set out in search of their first win of the Brasileiro Serie A campaign when they take on Gremio at the Stadium Antonio Accioly on Wednesday. 24 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool transfer target Lutsharel Geertruida is reportedly interested in joining Paris Saint-Germain this summer. 24 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk England boss Gareth Southgate has confirmed that Luke Shaw will miss Tuesday's Euro 2024 clash with Slovenia despite his recent return to training. 24 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Round 12 of the 2024 Brasileiro season sees Bahia and Vasco da Gama square up against each other at the Arena Fonte Nova on Thursday. 24 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Flamengo will be looking to open up a four-point lead at the top of the Brasileiro Serie A table when they take on Juventude at the Estadio Alfredo Jaconi. 24 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Ending a five-match winless streak will be the major objective for Corinthians when Cuiaba come visiting the Neo Quimica Arena on Thursday. 24 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk England have qualified for the last 16 of Euro 2024 with a game to play after Spain recorded a 1-0 win over Albania on Monday. 24 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea are reportedly expected to have fierce competition in the race for Boca Juniors defender Aaron Anselmino. 24 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Romania will hope that their defence can once again keep the opposition at bay, with the likes of Tottenham's Radu Dragusin proving key to his national side's defensive resilience over the past couple of years. 24 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk If Slovakia are to qualify for the round of 16 at Euro 2024, they will need Paris Saint-Germain defender and national-team captain Milan Skriniar to be at the top of his game alongside centre-back partner Denis Vavro. 24 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Tokyo Verdy will attempt to claim a second straight victory when they travel to the Yamaha Stadium for Wednesday's J1 League clash with Jubilo Iwata. 24 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk In the most hotly contested group at Euro 2024, third-placed Slovakia are set to face leaders Romania on Wednesday in Group E at Deutsche Bank Park in each side's final group stage game, and the winner could qualify for the knockout rounds in first place. 24 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Botafogo will be hoping to end their recent poor run in the Brasileiro Serie A when they host Bragantino at the Olympic Stadium on Wednesday. 24 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Reigning European champions Italy sneaked into the last 16 of Euro 2024 in the most astonishing circumstances thanks to a 1-1 draw with Croatia in their Group B finale. 24 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Spain have won all three group games a the European Championship for the first time since 2008 after they claimed a narrow 1-0 victory to end Albania's Euro 2024 journey. 24 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Internacional will be looking to win three Serie A matches in a row for the first time this season when they host Atletico Mineiro at Estadio Beira-Rio on Thursday. 24 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk With first place in Group F already wrapped up, Portugal are set to make a couple of alterations to their starting XI for the clash with Georgia on Wednesday evening at Euro 2024. 24 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Following their first-ever point in a major tournament against the Czech Republic on Saturday, Georgia are expected to name an unchanged team for a tricky-looking clash with Portugal in Group F of Euro 2024. 24 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk With spot top in Group F already secured, Portugal will be looking to continue their positive momentum as they face competition newcomers Georgia in Euro 2024 on Wednesday night in Gelsenkirchen. 24 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly opened discussions over the signing of Lille forward Jonathan David. 24 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea are reportedly prepared to listen to offers of around £30m for Omari Hutchinson, amid interest from Ajax. 24 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool's summer transfer business will reportedly hinge on the outcome of contract talks with star attacker Mohamed Salah. 24 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal have reportedly entered the race for Stuttgart forward Sehrou Guirassy, who has signalled his desire to leave the German club this summer. 24 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Requiring a single point to reach the knockout rounds of Euro 2024, Turkey will complete their Group F campaign at Hamburg's Volksparkstadion on Wednesday evening. 24 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk If they are to replicate their run to the quarter-finals of the last European Championship, Czech Republic must surely win their final Group F clash at Euro 2024. 24 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Battling it out for a place in the Euro 2024 knockout phase, Czech Republic and Turkey clash at Hamburg's Volksparkstadion on Wednesday evening. 24 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United reportedly hold an interest in signing a former Chelsea forward during the summer transfer window. 24 June 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid loanee Joselu has reached a decision over the next phase of his career.