Belgium finish 3rd after overcoming England 2-0
What's the story
Belgium won the third-place play-off in Saint Petersburg as they defeated England 2-0 at the FIFA World Cup 2018. Goals from Thomas Meunier and Eden Hazard helped the Belgians overcome Gareth Southgate's side as England faced a second successive defeat in the tourney. Earlier, in the Group G encounter between the two sides, Belgium had beaten England 1-0. Here is how the game unfolded.
Duo
Meunier, Hazard goals down England
Thomas Meunier scored the opener for Belgium early on in the fourth minute after slotting home from close range. England had 12 shots on target, but failed to register a goal in the entirety of 90 minutes. After trailing all along, Belgium captain Eden Hazard scored the 2nd of the night after being set free in the 82nd minute.
Stats
Numbers game: Belgium vs England
Belgium recorded their best ever finish in a World Cup after taking the bronze medal. Hazard finished with 40 dribbles in this World Cup, which is the highest registered in Russia. Thomas Meunier became the 10th different player to score for Belgium in Russia. It is the joint-most in terms of players scoring after France (1982) and Italy (2006) registered the same.
Twitter Post
A decent campaign
55 days since the start of our training camp.
— England (@England) July 14, 2018
27 days until the start of the @premierleague season.
This #ThreeLions squad has given us – and you, our supporters – everything. Time for a deserved break. pic.twitter.com/KOHovqF8Hu