Belgium vs England Nations League preview: where to watch, team news
Sunday, November 15, 2020
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Belgium face England in UEFA Nations League Group A2 – all you need to know.
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Belgium face England in UEFA Nations League Group A2 in Brussels on Sunday 15 November at 20:45 CET.
Where to watch the game on TV
Fans can find their local UEFA Nations League broadcast partner(s) here
As they stand
• Belgium top Group A2 with nine points. If they beat England, and Denmark drop points against Iceland, Roberto Martínez side will open up an unassailable lead at the top of the section. They have won their last ten competitive home games, scoring 46 goals in the process.
• England are third in the section, level with second-placed Denmark on seven points, but with a slightly inferior goal difference. The Three Lions have won their last four competitive away games without conceding.
Previous meetings
• This is the sides' seventh competitive meeting with both teams boasting identical records so far: W2 D2 L2. England beat Belgium 2-1 when the sides met at Wembley on Matchday 3.
• England have not played in Brussels for 50 years; they won 3-1 in a friendly game against the Red Devils at the Anderlecht Stadium on their last visit, in February 1970.
What the coaches say
Roberto Martínez, Belgium coach: "[In October] we had the game under control in the first half. We let it slip away in the second half. The second 45 minutes is something we can improve on. In the first half, we were very happy with what we achieved. Tomorrow we have the opportunity to play at home. We have to try to extend those 45 minutes to 90 minutes."
Gareth Southgate, England manager: "We have to be adaptable, we talk about tactical systems but on the pitch during the game players have to adapt. The game is so fluid, increasingly so, that players have to make sure they make good decisions. [On Harry Kane’s captaincy] for me, everybody leads in different ways and the days are passing where everything was about Churchillian speeches. We've got players in our team who might say very little but take the ball under pressure, and that is leadership."
Next up
18/11: England vs Iceland
18/11: Belgium vs Denmark