Januzaj Strike Sees Belgium Top Group, England Finish Second

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With both teams already through to the Round of 16 before a ball had been kicked and relatively little riding on this encounter, the England and Belgium coaches rang the changes compared to their previous fixtures.
As a result, there was unsurprisingly a disjointed and somewhat subdued feel to the game right from the off, with many players struggling to find their bearings.
Belgium top Group, England finish second
That is not to say there were no chances. The Belgians were the first to threaten. Jordan Pickford denied Mousa Dembele early on before keeping out Marouane Fellaini. Trent Alexander-Arnold then saw his cross-shot whistle narrowly past the post on the half-hour mark and Ruben Loftus-Cheek failed to find the target with a header four minutes later. However, that was about as good as it got in the first half, leaving the crowd at the Kaliningrad Stadium craving more action after the break.
Soon enough, Adnan Januzaj ensured that the fans would go home having got their money's worth. With just six minutes on the clock in the second period, the Belgium attacking midfielder dropped a shoulder, skipped past Danny Rose and curled a sumptuous left-footed strike into the top corner. To their credit, the Three Lions did not lie down after going behind. Phil Jones had an opportunity to equalise after an hour and Marcus Rashford twice went close, but Belgium held on to secure their third win in as many matches at Russia 2018 and clinch top spot in the group.

Final Score: 

England 0-1 Belgium

Man of the Match

Not only did he score the game's only goal, but Adnan Januzaj did so in style, beating Danny Rose before bending a magnificent effort right into the top corner. However, that was far from his only notable contribution: the right winger constantly looked to make things happen throughout the match, wreaking havoc up his flank.

Next

Belgium v Japan - Round of 16, 2 July, Rostov-on-Don
Colombia v England - Round of 16, 3 July, Moscow (Spartak Stadium)


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