The Red Devils lost their first ever win against England on English soil on Tuesday evening. In the very last seconds of the practice match, Jude Bellingham kicked the 2-2 final score against the ropes. The Red Devils remain undefeated under national coach Tedesco.
What on paper was a friendly practice match turned out to be an extremely fascinating game of football on the field. The first period in particular was – in stark contrast to the match against Ireland – not a dull moment. Ivan Toney fired a warning shot in the very first minute, but the striker was unable to frame his shot. An early opportunity from the Devils found its mark. Youri Tielemans punished a mistake by goalkeeper Jordan Pickford with a cunningly placed shot.
In response, England pushed harder on the accelerator and won a penalty. Toney (17) now scored his first for his country. The Red Devils, against the flow of the game, still went into the break with a lead. After a clever combination with Romelu Lukaku, the advanced Tielemans (36) headed the lead against the ropes.
Belgium had to do everything they could after the break to retain their bonus. The English came very close to the equalizer several times, but were unable to disrupt the Belgians’ defensive block. Each time, a Belgian leg or goalkeeper Matz Sels, who once again put in a strong game, was in the way. The home team’s sights also turned out not to be very sharp. Their attempts always went the wrong side of the post.
Halfway through the second period, the pace disappeared for the home team, who were unable to create much danger. Belgium seemed to have survived the English storm of chances, but was still defeated in the final seconds. Jude Bellingham (90.+5) made the final score 2-2 with a tap-in.
Star Tielemans satisfied despite a late equalizer
The star of the match, Belgian midfielder Youri Tielemans, was satisfied with the result afterwards despite the draw. “It was a great game to play. The atmosphere in a packed Wembley is fantastic. I am also very satisfied to be able to score twice here,” said Tielemans, who explained his goals.
“We train on high pressing. We wanted to trap them high on the pitch and were able to force a mistake that allowed me to score. With the second goal the roles are normally reversed and I provide the assist, but Romelu’s was perfect. I could head the ball into the goal with my eyes closed.”
“In the second half we had to keep going. As a team we were pushed back fiercely. That is certainly still an area to work on, but England was also strong today,” said the midfielder.
