Stand-in Belgium captain Eden Hazard was delighted to see his side seal qualification for Euro 2016 with a 4-1 win over Andorra on Saturday.
Advertisement
The win means Belgium top Group B going into the final round of matches but will be joined in France next summer by Wales, who advanced despite losing 2-0 in Bosnia.
However, Hazard believes that the Portuguese coach was simply trying to send him a message and has issued his backing for the Chelsea boss.
Depoitre then forced Pol to save sharply with a clever flick-on as Belgium went into half-time with a two-goal lead.
After reaching the 2014 Federation Internationale de Football Association World Cup quarter-finals, Belgium will now play in the European championship for the first time in four tournaments as its global resurgence continues.
Alexander Tettey and Alexander Soderlund were on the scoresheet for the Scandinavians but though they are two points clear of Croatia they have an inferior head-to-head record and visit Rome’s Stadio Olimpico in their final qualifier on Tuesday while Croatia have a comparatively straightforward task in Malta.
And Hazard, who is enjoying his current spell away from west London with the Belgian squad, is determined to reverse Chelsea’s fortunes.
The breakthrough was coming for Belgium and it arrived through Nainggolan.
But the Manchester City star found his range superbly moments later. After Hazard had won a free kick 25 yards from goal, De Bruyne dispatched a ideal effort in off the post.
Ildefons Lima made no mistake from the spot for the hosts, however, scoring his third penalty of the campaign after Tottenham’s Jan Vertonghen was adjudged to have fouled Victor Moreira in the box.
Advertisement
Hazard could have made it 5-1 in the 78th with another penalty but this time Andorra’s Ferran Pol made the save.
