Tag Archives: roberto martinez

Belgium put paid to England’s hopes of leaving the World Cup with a medal with a 2-0 victory against the Three Lions in Saint Petersburg. The Three Lions were looking to rouse themselves once again having seen their dreams of the final crushed by an extra-time winner by Croatia on Wednesday, but they would face stiff opposition from a Belgium …

England have finished fourth in the World Cup after going down to a 2-0 defeat to Belgium in Saturday’s play-off in Saint Petersburg. Gareth Southgate’s men, insisting that they were looking to finish on a high despite the deflating semi-final defeat to Croatia, looked brighter from open play than they had done at any other point since the clash with …

Football’s not coming home, but it’s still taking a slight detour as England meet Belgium in the World Cup third/fourth place play-off on Saturday. Gareth Southgate’s side came close to reaching a first final since 1996 against Croatia on Wednesday night, only to be denied by a Mario Mandzukic winner in extra time. For today’s clash, a match that is …

England face Belgium in the World Cup third-place play-off on Saturday with the tournament’s top scorer Harry Kane eyeing the chance to add to his six goals in the meeting of the beaten semi-finalists. Both teams will line up in Saint Petersburg with a sense of what might have been as France and Croatia prepare for Sunday’s final in Moscow’s …

Belgium meet France in the first of the 2018 World Cup semi-finals this week in an all-European affair in Saint Petersburg. Both have laid waste to the best that South America has to offer in order to get here, but picking a winner is, on paper at least, a tough task given the staggering individual brilliance in both sides. However, by …

And then there were four – the World Cup has reached the semi-final stage, and we’re left with an all-European affair. Brazil, Uruguay, Sweden and hosts Russia all fell at the last eight hurdle, leaving France, Belgium, England and Croatia with just one more hill to climb between themselves and the promised land of the World Cup final. Ahead of …

Brazilian forward Neymar has responded to the Selecao’s World Cup quarter-final exit on Friday night. The South American giants were sent packing by Belgium in Kazan in the last eight encounter, the 2-1 score condemning Tite’s side to an early exit from the competition. Neymar, seen as Brazil’s mani hope but also a target of much criticism due to his …

It was a case of “Europe 2 South America 0” in Russia on Friday as France and Belgium overcame Uruguay and Brazil respectively. While the first result wasn’t much of a shock, particularly as it was always going to be a case of contrasting styles and one got the sense that France would just have that bit too much, the …

A tactical change proved decisive as Kevin De Bruyne hit the winner that sent five-time champions Brazil sensationally crashing out on Wednesday and kept underdogs Belgium’s World Cup hopes alive. As Brazil became the last South American country to exit the tournament before the semi-finals, Roberto Martinez’s Belgium ended a 32-year wait to reach the final four. The Red Devils …

Brazil and Belgium face off in Friday’s second World Cup quarter-final for the right to face France in the last four of the competition. Tite’s favourites are looking to reach the semi-finals of the tournament for the second time in succession, while the Red Devils are looking to go one further than their quarter-final exit in 2014. To Brazil first, …

Belgium manager Roberto Martinez said he was deeply proud after his team hit back from 2-0 down to beat Japan and claim a place in the World Cup quarter-finals. Substitute Nacer Chadli slotted home in the fourth minute of injury time to complete a memorable comeback and seal a 3-2 win in the last-16 match in Rostov-on-Don. Belgium were stunned …

Nacer Chadli was the hero for Belgium as Roberto Martinez’s side came from 2-0 down to knock Japan out of the World Cup. The European side, strong favourites for this clash, found themselves 2-0 down early in the second half through goals from Genki Haraguchi and Takashi Inui. Belgium had been pedestrian up to that point were now suddenly starting defeat …

Eamon Dunphy couldn’t hide his love for Marouane Fellaini after the Belgium midfielder’s performance on Thursday night. The Manchester United man turned in a decent showing during the World Cup victory over England, one that secured Roberto Martinez’s side top spot in the group, and it certainly left an impression on the RTE Sport analyst. Dunphy described Fellaini as a …

A much-changed Belgium side claimed top spot in World Cup Group G with a 1-0 victory over England in Kaliningrad. With the likes of Harry Kane, Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard, Raheem Sterling, Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne nowhere to be seen, both managers opted to give some of their fringe players a chance to impress and give them something …

Belgium saw off England in Kaliningrad on Thursday night to claim top spot in World Cup Group G with maximum points. Both sides made a number of changes for the decider as both had already secured a place in the last 16. There was also a sense that both Roberto Martinez and Gareth Southgate would not have been overly upset to …

Belgium opened their 2018 World Cup campaign with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Panama in Sochi on Monday afternoon. Roberto Martinez’s side laboured a bit in the first half as they struggled to break down a determined Panamanian rearguard – indeed, it looked as though a change of personnel would be needed in the second half for there to be …

Belgium were made to wait for their first goal of the 2018 World Cup, but what a strike it was. Having laboured in a goalless first half against Panama, the pressure was on Roberto Martinez’s side to find a breakthrough early in the second half. Fortunately for the Red Devils, said breakthrough came with less than two minutes on the …

Our 2018 World Cup group-by-group preview takes us to Group G, featuring Belgium, England, Tunisia and Panama. England and Belgium come into this tournament with varying degrees of supporter expectation (which could work for or against them) but with a common demand for progression to the next round, while Tunisia and Panama are the group outsiders aiming to cause an upset. …