What We’re Reading Between the Euro Lines - Part 2
Brentford midfield pair Nørgaard and Jensen got a glimpse of what life could be like in the Premier League next season.
Midfield opponents for Denmark versus Belgium were Kevin De Bruyne and Youri Tielemans.
Manchester City finished as Premier League Champions and Leicester City missed out on qualifying for the Champions League by the smallest of margins on the last day of the season. We’re talking about very good players here.
Christian entered the pitch on around 60 minutes with the score 1-1.
During 30 minutes of football, there were odd positive patches, such as snapping in on a short pass aimed at KDB.
Mainly, the class of the midfield meant it took far too long in what was always going to be an uphill task in getting to terms with what the team was up against.
Here we see Nørgaard tracking KDB in the central third well not long after the Brentford man is introduced.
As the game rolls his eagerness to move from controlling space to moving out of shape and intercept the ball counted against him.
Coming up against Youri Tielemans, too, is no easy task and there will be moments the Dane will be disappointed with upon reflection.
Here we see Belgium in possession towards the right of the middle third.
Sensing a 3v2 out wide developing, Nørgaard is caught in two minds of at first holding his position and rushing forward to intercept a ball to prevent the move developing.
Tielemans gets in on the act and moves right to receive the ball in front of Nørgaard.
To counteract the Brentford man rushes out vacating the area he was protecting in front of the back four for no real reason other than an eagerness to intercept with his adrenaline pumping.
Tielemans rides the pressure and bursts into the space Nørgaard has vacated, giving him 3 dangerous options.
Luckily, the Leicester City player chooses a pass to his right and over hits the ball towards Lukaka and a clean tackle is able to be made as the danger passes.
De Bruyne picks up devious attacking positions whoever he is playing against but this was all a bit too easy for the advanced midfielder.
Hiding behind the referee and tucked in between the shoulder of the Danish defensive midfielder and space Kjaer doesn’t want to move into, KDB was making space where there should not be space.
It was a masterclass from KDB with countless notes of ours saying the same thing...
*KDB has picked up a position on his shoulder between the Brentford man and CB Kjaer.
Belgium's right hand side was the danger throughout the entire second half. The winning goal was similar in craft to an Italy finish earlier in the week. Short one touch passes across the pitch to a player freed up on the far side to strike first time.
From a ball over the top from TA at RB, Lukaka not only keeps it alive but for 30+ seconds manages to hold off 5 or 6 challenges dragging players out to the right wing on the way to turning back in field, composing, and popping off a short pass to Tielemans.
Nørgaard, central, can only hang his head in bewilderment.
Ok, if not too conservative in possession, his positioning off the ball was not effective, and didn’t ever make it feel like Denmark had a man up centrally, instead, allowing a big space behind him to develop on one too many occasions.
Belgium were simply too smart and precise on the day as we see the tenacious Bees midfielder Jensen pick up a yellow card for eventually clearing out a lively Tielemans. The Leicester man had knocked a ball he was a clear favourite to get onto down the line as well as anticipating the late challenge from the Dane.
In difficult circumstances, the Danes outshot and outcompeted the number 1 ranked side in the world. Part of their objectives were completed to a high standard and some not so well and all with two Brentford players in the midfield.
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