Gert Verheyen explains what Belgium need to do to beat Morocco
The Red Devils play their second group game at the World Cup in Qatar this afternoon (2 p.m.) against Morocco.
Belgium faces a difficult task, according to Gert Verheyen. He describes in Het Nieuwsblad what to expect from Morocco. “Dynamic. Aggressive. Audacious. Morocco has energy to spare: they run like crazy”, explains the analyst. “What the Devils lack, Morocco have too much. Resting on the ball they don’t have. Technically, they are all very good footballers. They don’t play for possession, no, they try always to play towards the goal. Preferably at a very high pace, with a lot of risk. Therefore, there is a lot of waste in their game. But when it works, it’s very good.”
However, their composition also offers opportunities. “Morocco play in a 4-1-4-1. With our pitch game, that means we have players who are not in cover: our wingers and the two attacking supports. It will be interesting to do something with these positions. The wingers will be freed in the construction. And the two supports will enter a free zone left and right alongside Amrabat, their controller. He will never be able to run the full width.”
So you have to try to do something about it, even if you don’t always succeed. “The condition is that the Devils play fast and turn fast, because space will be limited. So the question is whether the Belgians have the guts to break that line of four with passes. What they don’t have dared to do against Canada.”