Lukaku to seal Belgium's qualification
Den Dreef in Leuven will see international action for the second time in the space of four days as Belgium welcome Denmark for the final, decisive match in the UEFA Nations League group stages. The encounter on Wednesday night looked to have a completely different complexion to it until Christian Eriksen's second strike against Iceland in injury time kept the Scandinavian country's hopes alive of booking their own passage to the knock-out phase. Nothing less than a win will do for visiting head coach Kasper Hjulmand, which could well play into the hosts', and Romelu Lukaku's, hands. Read our preview here:
Attack is the best form of attack
Under Roberto Martinez, Belgium seldom ever shut up shop or play for the draw. There's little scope for that suddenly changing against Denmark, and with both Thomas Meunier and Axel Witsel now suspended for the decisive clash, the starting eleven will probably look more offensive-minded than ever before. Jan Vertonghen might not have three games in his legs in just the expanse of a week, but of more concern are the flanks. As previously noted, Thorgan Hazard is not a natural fit on the left, and he might now be joined on the right by Nacer Chadli - the duo are ostensibly wingers or attacking midfielders for their club sides, so will naturally try to play to their strengths and push forward. De rød-hvide will probably look to keep things fairly tight behind Eriksen, so it will be up to the pair to pin back their opposite numbers to starve the Danes of chances to break out. Lukaku looked ominously dangerous in the triumph over England without getting his reward, and will be doubly determined as a consequence to rectify that.
Have a Kjær!
Key to stifling Lukaku and all the other threats in red and gold will be captain and centre-back Simon Kjær. The organisation of the back three ahead of Kasper Schmeichel (if fit) will fall squarely on his shoulders. Nullifying the target man won't in itself stop the team ranked number one in the world by FIFA, but it will cut down significantly the time they can spend camped in Denmark's territory. The onus must be on sucking them in and playing on the break with good numbers; the last thing Hazard or Chadli will want is to spend time sprinting back into their own half to cover, and the likes of Pierre-Emile Højbjerg and the versatile Daniel Wass should be attempting to orchestrate those whenever possible. Hjulmand won't go hell for leather on the off, and there are always opportunities that present themselves against the European giants.
