a historic podium to fetch

Heroic against Brazil in the quarter-finals, the Red Devils did not manage to follow a second high-level performance against a big engine at this Russian World Cup. Even if the blow received on the head on Tuesday by France is painful, the match for the third place of this Saturday is not to be taken lightly.

The next installments, with the Euro 2020 online and a remodeled group following the retirements that will be announced, will reveal if the victory against Brazil last Friday served as a trigger for a golden generation, as it is nicknamed despite the lack of convincing results, desperately looking for from a prestigious success to the quarter-finals in Kazan, or if it was only a fire of straw hiding eternal failures. Because if the Devils were intrinsically no less talented than the Blues, they were not able to find the flaw in the face of a past master training in the art of foiling the opponent. Without seducing, France is in the final of a major tournament for the second time in a row, after his Euro, and this is not a coincidence. For our flat country, the disappointment is huge. Projections leave great uncertainties. This generation gave the impression of being the last to be able to bring a first star to the Kingdom. Just as four years ago in Brazil and two in France, the Devils gave the impression not to try everything, to keep under the pedal, not to take full advantage of the opportunity that was offered to they hit a big shot. The last pbadage through Moscow, which could have led the whole country to apotheosis Sunday at the Luzhniki stadium, will be much shorter than expected, the return to St. Petersburg was already scheduled this Friday. With, Saturday (16h), a match not so uninteresting as it seems for the group, for many reasons.

To win individual trophies: Courtois, Hazard or Lukaku awarded?
                    
                

"It's the collective that takes precedence. We do not think about personal rewards, they will come by themselves if we go far in the competition, "explained Thibaut Courtois at the Dedovsk training center early in the tournament. The adventure ended in the semi-final on Tuesday in St. Petersburg. What to question the possibility of seeing a Devil stand out thanks to his own performance? Not necessarily but it will be out of the big game Saturday at the small final. A meeting that should be played by executives authors of a good World Cup. Thibaut Courtois was probably opposed on Tuesday to his main competitor for the title of best goalkeeper of the tournament. Author of an exceptional performance, on the line of what he has demonstrated since the entry into the subject of the Devils on June 18 against Panama, the Limburger certainly placed himself in good order on the list of judges, even if the qualification of the Blues gives the possibility to Hugo Lloris, also determining in this semifinal with this stop on the shot of Toby Alderweireld, to shine at the apotheosis of this World Cup. Eden Hazard can legitimately hope for the title of best player, even if Kylian Mbappé has yet demonstrated, in addition to a criticized character, that he has gold in his feet.

And Romelu Lukaku, invisible on Tuesday, must not forget that he can still fall behind Harry Kane in the top scorer standings, knowing that third-place matches are historically rich in goals.

Exceeding the Belgian heroes of Mexico: in 1986 , the Devils had lost the small final
                    
                

The story, sometimes cruel, is content to retain the results, much less the beautiful game. Without necessarily always shine, the Red Devils are part of the formations that tried to combine the way to the performances at this Russian tournament but could not go after their incredible dream.

This small final is a meager consolation which should not make forget for all the perspective for the Devils to enter history, exceeding the fourth place of 1986, when the defeat in the semi-final against Argentina (2-0) was followed by another against … France, decidedly (4-2 after prolongation).

Without the times can be compared – 32 years apart, it's huge – the prestige is not to be neglected.

"The disappointment is huge because we wanted the title but we will play to win this Saturday, because we are professionals and because it would be nice to offer a three th place in Belgium, "slid Kevin De Bruyne, decisive against the Seleçao but much less successful on Tuesday, in the mixed zone after the defeat against France.

A speech taken in chorus by the whole group but perhaps only facade, to try to alleviate the frustration.

Croats and English have not always seduced during this World Cup but the duel for the third place will not be obvious . It will need to be focused and really driven by a desire to surpbad himself to enter the history of Belgian football.

Do not end the World Cup on two defeats: an honor to save
                    
                

The only nation to have scored five victories since entering the World Cup in Russian style (3-0 against Panama, 5-2 against Tunisia, 0-1 against England, 3- 2 against Japan and 1-2 against Brazil) – with a goal difference of +9 (14/5) before this famous semi-final against France-, Belgium lost at the worst of times, the doors of a final that was in everyone's mind, the victory against Brazil has opened the door to optimism. The Belgian people believed it hard. All Belgium wanted to continue to make the fiesta. But, unfortunately, the beautiful series in the course of 24 games without defeat was annihilated this Tuesday night in St. Petersburg. A difficult moment for all the Belgian people …

It's simple, since the 0-2 draw against Spain on September 1, 2016 – almost two years ago – in a friendly match for taking office Roberto Martinez, the Red Devils no longer tasted this bitter taste.

Although the record since the arrival of the Catalan tactician remains very good in terms of results with 19 wins, 5 shares and 2 defeats in 26 games – to put in perspective with the level of the formations met-, to return on the Belgian soil with a second defeat of rank in the suitcases would do bad kind and would be synonymous with big blow of stop for a generation which had been authorized the dreams the more crazy and who has returned to earth. An additional source of motivation for a match that will not necessarily unleash pbadions.

Play time for reservists: allow a maximum of Devils to play, and show themselves
                    
                

Roberto Martinez may be caught mid-air, as at the dawn of tackling the final group game against England. The Devils, at least some of them, had decided to play hard and had fallen into the toughest part of the table – this made it possible to mark the spirits by leaving Brazil but the adventure came to an end against France-, but instructions had been given in the opposite direction and it was a staff reworked in depth that had been aligned, Thibaut Courtois and Dedryck Boyata being the only two surviving holders. Here, the question of whether to win the game or not obviously does not arise, everyone hopes to finish this World Cup on a positive note, just to mitigate somewhat the disappointment of the defeat against the Blues and to enter the history of Belgian football. On the other hand, the Catalan will have to decide between an eleven more or less type or again largely modified. The second solution seems to take over, because players like Romelu Lukaku, although he will probably play a part of the meeting, Nacer Chadli, Axel Witsel and Kevin De Bruyne, who admitted it Tuesday night after the meeting, are completely burnt, and because it is always better for the cohesion of the group to leave no one behind, to allow those who enjoy less play time still be able to show. In the mercato period, it's always taken too.