WHEN PUTTING TOGETHER pre-tournament predictions for Euro 2024, there was a dilemma with Belgium.
Are they good enough to be singled out as the big team most likely to flop?
Or are they bad enough to be considered dark horses, as Shay Given called them on RTÉ?
The thought of tipping them to win it, without a significant caveat, did not spring to mind.
Today’s underwhelming 0-0 draw with Ukraine backed up those feelings of pre-tournament pessimism.
Domenico Tedesco’s men did enough to reach the last 16, but like England and a couple of other teams, they stumbled over the line and there was little sense of triumph at the final whistle.
Belgium seldom looked a big threat — registering four shots on target over the 90 minutes.
And by the end, they were playing for a draw as Kevin De Bruyne held the ball at the corner flag rather than going for a winner.
Their reward for finishing second is a round-of-16 tie with France.
Had they won, they would have been set for an easier-looking knockout match against Netherlands or Slovenia.
Based on this afternoon’s performance, it’s hard to see how they have a chance against Didier Deschamps’ men.
An ordinary enough Ukraine side looked there for the taking, but like in their opening match — a shock 1-0 loss to Slovakia — Belgium were hesitant, laboured and sluggish throughout.
Belgian fans might feel entitled to expect better. However, they are nowhere near as good as their Fifa ranking of third in the world suggests.
Their squad has more individual talent than many sides left in the competition.
But when you look closer, there are glaring problems.
Many of their top players are ageing and have not enjoyed great seasons.
Romelu Lukaku at 31 looks past his best and has missed a couple of good chances in this tournament.
Amazingly, he is still technically a Chelsea player but spent last season scoring 13 goals in 32 appearances for a Roma side that finished sixth in Serie A.
Kevin De Bruyne turns 33 on Friday. He missed a substantial portion of the season at Man City and only showed glimpses of brilliance since his return without ever hitting the consistent heights he is renowned for reaching.
Similarly, Jeremy Doku and Leandro Trossard were in and out of the Man City and Arsenal teams this season, and the latter was replaced in the second half by Yannick Carrasco, who has spent the past campaign playing in Saudi Arabia.
Wout Faes last season was lining out in the Championship with Leicester City, while 37-year-old Jan Vertonghen played in the Belgian top flight with Anderlecht.
Like Carrasco, goalkeeper Koen Casteels has moved to Saudi Arabia and is starting in the absence of Thibaut Courtois, who bafflingly was not deemed fit enough to travel by Tedesco despite recently appearing in the Champions League final with Real Madrid.
Arthur Theate has been playing for a Rennes side that finished 10th in Ligue 1 and Timothy Castagne is on the books at a relatively mediocre Fulham side, while Amadou Onana spent the campaign scrapping with a relegation-threatened Everton team.
Of the starting XI, arguably only Youri Tielemans could be considered to have had an exceptional season, playing well for a Villa team that finished fourth in the Premier League. But even the classy 27-year-old midfielder was disappointing today and got taken off for Orel Mangala just after the hour mark.
De Bruyne memorably said Belgium were “too old” and had “no chance” of winning at the 2022 World Cup, as they underperformed and crashed out at the group stages in Qatar.
There is little evidence to indicate a major improvement has occurred since then.
Now, even suggesting them as dark horses feels like a stretch.
