Once again, Belgium faces Israel in the final match of the Nations League group stage. On Sunday, November 17, the two countries meet in the Hungarian capital, Budapest. Read all about it in this article.
UEFA Nations League
This biennial tournament is being organized for the fourth time, six years after the first edition in 2018. In the Nations League, 54 UEFA members compete against each other, divided into four divisions based on their international performances. Within these divisions, they are further divided into groups, and each country plays both home and away games against the teams in its group.
After the group stage, teams follow different paths. The top two teams from each group in Division A qualify for the quarterfinals, where they play playoffs to determine who advances to the final round. There will also be promotion and relegation playoffs across all divisions. The quarterfinals begin on March 20, the final round on June 4, and the final is scheduled for June 8, 2025.
Israel – Belgium
The Red Devils also played against Israel in their opening Nations League match this year. At the Nagyerdei Stadium in Debrecen, Hungary, the Red Devils started their Nations League campaign strong with a 3-1 victory. Only Timothy Castagne’s own goal marred Koen Casteels’ clean sheet. Goals for Belgium came from Kevin De Bruyne and Youri Tielemans. This match will also take place in Hungary.
So far, Israel and Belgium have played each other eight times. The first match was a World Cup qualifier for 1966, held on May 9, 1965. The Red Devils won by the smallest margin: 1-0 in Brussels. In all these matches, Belgium won seven times, while Israel managed to win only once. The numbers are certainly in favor of the Red Devils, but perhaps Israel can pull off a surprise.
Israel
Israel did not participate in this year’s European Championship, as it failed to qualify. Their opponent, Iceland, proved too strong, handing Israel a 1-4 defeat. Since then, they have played only two matches before this Nations League campaign, against Hungary and Belarus. Both matches ended in losses.
The Israeli team has faced several heavy defeats, including 4-1 losses to both France and Italy. Starting this final stretch with no points is a tough challenge, especially considering that Israel does not rank among the world’s elite teams: they currently sit at 81st in the FIFA World Ranking.
Head coach Ran Ben Shimon’s squad does not include many well-known players. The most familiar name in Belgium may be Omri Gandelman, a midfielder who plays for AA Gent. The team captain is usually Bibras Natcho, who plays for Partizan in Serbia.
Belgium
At the last major international tournament, this year’s European Championship, the Red Devils were knocked out in the round of 16 by France. This has been somewhat of a trend in recent years, with Belgium just missing the mark. Their best Nations League result was the third-place playoff in 2020-2021, where Italy proved just too strong. Since then, Belgium has dropped from the first spot to sixth place in the FIFA rankings.
The Red Devils begin this final stretch in third place in their group. In their first match, also against Israel, they secured an impressive win, but that was their only victory. Belgium lost twice to France and drew with Italy. This was enough to stay ahead of Israel but not enough to overcome France and Italy.
Coach Domenico Tedesco might still face some challenges with his lineup: Charles De Ketelaere was recently sidelined at Atalanta, and Jérémy Doku also sat out at Manchester City. Kevin De Bruyne and Youri Tielemans have already chosen to remain with their clubs due to injuries, while Romelu Lukaku will rejoin the team.
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