Jun 29, 2018 -

Belgium beat England to top spot with Januzaj strike

It had been viewed as the game no-one wanted to win but Adnan Januzaj’s fine finish early in the second half gave Belgium a 1-0 victory over England to secure the Group G top spot in a contest between two sets of reserves.

The result means Belgium, who won all three of their group games to finish on nine points, will face Japan in the last 16 while England, who came second with six, take on Colombia.

That gives Gareth Southgate’s England a tougher test in the second round but should they get past the South Americans they will find themselves on a much more promising path to the final.

Belgium’s side of the draw includes Brazil, who they could face in the quarter-finals, Argentina, Portugal and France.

England’s opponents are, on paper at least, easier — Sweden or Switzerland await in the last eight — and they face less travelling should they progress.

“The knockout game is the biggest game for a decade, so we had to make sure our key players were preserved,” said Southgate, having left out captain Harry Kane among others.

“We created openings to get something from the game, but we have to keep improving. I think the supporters know what the most important thing is,” he added.

Mridha Shihab Mahmud is a writer, content editor and photojournalist. He works as a staff reporter at News Hour. He is also involved in humanitarian works through a trust called Safety Assistance For Emergencies (SAFE). Mridha also works as film director. His passion is photography. He is the chief respondent person in Mymensingh Film & Photography Society. Besides professional attachment, he loves graphics designing, painting, digital art and social networking.
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