Belgium outclasses Germany in thrilling 3-2 friendly victory

Belgium claimed victory over Germany, defeating the Euro 2024 hosts for the first time since 1954. The 3-2 win marked Belgium’s second consecutive win, coming off the back of their opening Group F Euro 2024 qualifier victory against Sweden.

The Match

With both sides looking to bounce back from their World Cup exits in December, it was Belgium who dominated play in the first half, attacking at will and driving the pace of the game.

The Goals

In the sixth minute, Belgium took the lead at the RheinEnergieStadion with a superb five-pass move that saw Yannick Carrasco rifling home unmarked and with lots of space on the left.

Before the hosts could recover, Belgium struck again with Kevin De Bruyne slipping the ball through to Romelu Lukaku to finish from inside the box.

Lukaku almost bagged his second of the game in the 20th minute with a powerful header that rattled the bar. However, it wouldn’t be long before the Germans pulled one back, earning a penalty on the stroke of halftime that Niclas Fullkrug converted for his sixth international goal in six matches.

The Belgian dominance continued into the second half, with De Bruyne finishing from another swift move. Germany managed to cut their deficit in the 88th minute with a goal from Serge Gnabry, but it wasn’t enough to deny Belgium coach Domenico Tedesco a second win from two matches.

Post-Match Reaction

Germany coach Hansi Flick admitted that they were far too passive and did not put enough pressure on Belgium. He acknowledged that there is a lot of work to be done, especially in working towards being more active and playing better as a team.

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Conclusion

The match was a thrilling display of attacking football, marking Belgium’s resurgence after their disappointing World Cup finish. This win against Germany sets them on track for an exciting Euro 2024 campaign.