Before the match, Eduardo Camavinga had laid things out calmly in front of the press, according to RTBF: “This duel between France and Belgium will be very important. Belgium remain a great nation. As for the history between the two sides: I think it’s mainly the Belgians who have that memory stuck in their throat.”
He added, on the subject of Thibaut Courtois, who sat out this Nations League: “I spoke a little with Thibaut before the squad announcement. I’m very glad I won’t be facing him.”
The match finished 0-1. Brandon Mechele reckoned “a draw would have been more logical, but Olise’s individual class made the difference.” Nathan Ngoy pointed to a lapse in concentration on the goal conceded. Youri Tielemans said the Red Devils’ failure to convert their chances was the main difference from the previous match in Italy.
There was also Roméo Lavia, back in the squad and starting for the first time with the Red Devils: “We can be proud, the atmosphere was exceptional, the crowd pushed us all the way.”
“Stuck in the throat? Me? I only sent fourteen messages to the group chat before kick-off, three of them about 2018, which is reasonable. And then 0-1. France again. That’s a disgrace. I’m weighing my words. But Lavia starting, that atmosphere, the crowd pushing us all the way: historic. Both, yes, in the same bag of chips. And my brother-in-law who says Camavinga was right, well, he’s banned from the chips.”
A return match is scheduled at the Stade de France (France’s national stadium) in the coming days.
“The throat, we’ll get over it. The Stade de France, we’ll see.”
It’s true, we checked: RTBF Sport.
