Belgium coach Roberto Martinez previewed the bout with Italy in an interview, discussing, in particular, his players and their journey. “It will be a fantastic game; both sides start with the same chances to win.” He spoke to Goal.com.
Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard are questionable to play. “We are optimistic; we thought their Euro might be over already. Fortunately, that is not the case, but, surely, they do not have a lot of time to recover. Medically speaking, they have been cleared. Kevin was lucky as that tackle could have done a lot of damage.”
According to Sky, there could be some gamesmanship going on as the two might have trained away from the cameras in the last two days. Instead, reports suggested that they missed practice altogether. Belgium will not hold a public session in Munich.
Martinez continued: “If I had €100 to bet on the Balloon d’Or, I would split them between De Bruyne and Lukaku. They are the best in the world in their positions. Lukaku moved to the right team at the right time; he matured and became a better scorer. He does a lot for his teammates as well.”
Belgium has implemented a trendy 3-4-3: “This system is in vogue right now among the clubs; Atalanta is maybe the best example. It allows the winger to bring a lot to the table, but it also needs a lot of work to function properly.”
The Red Devils are looking to finally get a signature win after years at the top: “This generation will influence the next ones. They are setting the bar for the future. They deserve a trophy to cement their legacy. This group would be talked about in 50/60 years if that happened.”