EURO 2020 Group B begins with a clash between Belgium and Russia on Saturday. Although the Red Devils looked a lot stronger than the opponents, they should never take the three points as granted. In 2018 FIFA World Cup, Stanislav Cherchesov’s Russia had produced some shockers and achieved their historically best result by entering the quarter-final. They knocked Spain – another strong team out of the tournament years ago. If Roberto Martínez’s troops were not careful enough, they might find themselves in trouble in the first game.
But how exactly could these two teams exploit the weaknesses of each other? This tactical analysis would give some possible tactics of both sides.
Predicted lineups
Belgium (3-4-2-1): Thibaut Courtois; Toby Alderweireld, Jason Denayer, Jan Vertonghen; Timothy Castagne, Yannick Carrasco, Leander Dendoncker, Youri Tielemans; Dries Mertens, Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku
Martínez had a mature and stable team who could play with different types of formations, but there was no point to change the familiar back three formations. Most players already nailed their starting spots, including the likes of De Bruyne and Lukaku. There might be some undecided names on the team sheet such as the left side, should Carrasco playing at left wing-back and keep Mertens, or starting Nacer Chadli at wing-back to push Carrasco higher? We would know the decision by the time of announcement.
