Belgium aiming for third group win against Finland
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NewsTranscript
00:00You have to see this was a team which defeated France in the qualifiers.
00:04So we were all expecting a lot from this Turkish side.
00:11Welcome to another episode of Gulf News Kicking Back. I'm Imran and as ever I'm joined by Matt,
00:17Shams here and Sahil to discuss all of last night's action. But before we do,
00:22let's bring you, as we normally do now, some latest news from elsewhere. France midfielder
00:27Paul Pogba looks set to become the highest paid player at Man United.
00:31They've offered him a £104 million deal. Paul, if you have trouble spending that,
00:37give us a call. We'll definitely help you. Moving on, England manager Gareth Southgate
00:42has said struggling captain Harry Kane's going to start tomorrow against the Czech Republic.
00:47That's an interesting choice. And last and not least, France midfielder,
00:52Raphael Varane looks set to join PSG from Real Madrid. I think Man United were after him,
00:57but it looks like PSG are going to pip him to the post. All right. So last night's action,
01:03there was just two games yesterday and it's going to be four tonight. So there'll be plenty to talk
01:07about tomorrow, but today we'll talk about the two that was starting off with the Switzerland
01:13and Turkey match. Let's go with that one first. It was a crucial game for both teams. They both
01:17had an outside chance of qualifying, at least in third place for the last 16.
01:23I was expecting a much better performance from Turkey. They lost their first two games against
01:27Italy and Wales. I really thought that they'd at least try, obviously they were going to try,
01:33but I thought they might win, but it was another no-show from them. They lost 3-1 yesterday.
01:38Now some thought that they were the dark horse of the tournament. I thought so,
01:42but it went so badly wrong for them. I don't know how also when you see that team with the quality
01:46that they've got with the likes of Yilmaz, Selic, Demirol under, they were disappointing.
01:52What went so wrong for them then? They just didn't seem to click, I think. I think that
02:00they came into the tournament, looked at that group and said, okay, Italy are going to win,
02:04but we've pretty much got second in the bag and I think they were pretty complacent
02:08all the way through. They seemed to stroll into the tournament thinking,
02:12yeah, we're good enough, no problem, and maybe failed to do the homework.
02:18Obviously, they got off to a very bad start and that really, really whacked their morale.
02:25Losing that first game so convincingly, if that's the right word, then they just failed to get back
02:32on their feet. They just got steamrolled in every game. They conceded eight goals, I think, in the
02:38whole tournament, scored one, zero points and that was absolutely dreadful return for a team
02:44of their standards. I think heads are going to roll. Yeah, like what Matthew mentioned,
02:53the Demirol's own goal, from there itself, their morale went down and they looked completely
03:00at a disjointed side. I thought they will turn up yesterday at least to salvage a consolation
03:07victory, but they could only score one goal. It was a tremendous goal, but apart from that,
03:12yes, from the very first minute, they tried to win the game, but that was playing into the hands
03:18of Switzerland because they had enough spaces at the back and they utilized it very well. But for
03:23Turkey, man, it's a completely baffling thing because I thought they'll have a good tournament
03:28because they had a great qualifier. They only conceded like three goals, which we have already
03:32talked about. But now in the tournament, they have already conceded eight goals and they didn't
03:37pick up a point. You have to see, this was a team which defeated France in the qualifiers. So we
03:44were all expecting a lot from this Turkish side and they got humbled. I think it could be
03:51the pressure of this big stage, nothing else because I can't see any other reason because
03:55they didn't play as a team at all. But it was a complete contrast to what we have seen in them
04:00in the qualifiers.
04:04What did you make of them, Sahil? Disappointing, right?
04:08Very disappointing. First of all, I wanted to mention, I remember me and Imran saying that
04:11Turkey would beat Italy in the first game. So sorry about that.
04:16Completely wrong. We were way off the mark there.
04:21I don't know. We said that because Italy looked like a good team. Look at that,
04:25centre-backs. Those are good centre-backs. They have got Caglanoglu, who's one of the
04:29most creative midfielders in the world. And it's just shocking to me that even to Switzerland,
04:35they lost badly. It's not like a close game. They lost badly, 3-1. They were humbled by
04:39Switzerland. Shakiri scored a beauty and that one Turkish goal, it was something special.
04:44Otherwise, they would have not even scored that. So they were poor, as Shamshai said,
04:49maybe the pressure. But what pressure? They're all professional players. They got to play this.
04:55They were just poor and they did not gel well together, each and every player.
04:59Yilmaz was the man who failed for them really badly. So Turkey have themselves to be blamed
05:06and they were just not good enough to this tournament.
05:08You mentioned Shakiri. He grabbed two yesterday for Switzerland,
05:13but you won't see him bend one into the top corner with his right foot too often.
05:17We all know he's got a great left foot and his right foot is usually just for standing on.
05:22He scored a great goal last night, didn't he?
05:24Brilliant goal. It was just top class.
05:27He scored a lovely goal as well. He got his first for Switzerland.
05:33And Turkey, if you're going to score one goal, you might as well make it a really good one.
05:37And Kovacic made sure it was a really good one as a top corner strike.
05:40There were 41 attempts in that game yesterday. So I mean, both teams were clearly going for it.
05:45But yeah, like we said, Turkey was really disappointed.
05:50Credit to Switzerland. They've given him his chance to qualify for the last 16.
05:55They finished third in that group.
05:57But let's move on now to Italy against Wales.
06:00Mancini made eight changes to that team yesterday.
06:03They'd already qualified to the last 16.
06:05So clearly he was going to arrest a bunch of his key players.
06:08But even then, they were still dominant.
06:10And again, really exciting to watch.
06:12They only got one goal yesterday.
06:14They've got three in the previous two, three each in the last two games.
06:18It could have been a hatful again, but I think credit to Wales.
06:20They played that second half with 10 men.
06:23But they finished second in the group to advance.
06:25Good for Wales, eh?
06:28Yeah, they really stepped up.
06:30Like I said, if you can ever be proud of a 1-0 loss, then that's how you do it.
06:39I don't think they were keeping an eye on the score in the other game.
06:42But they knew that they had to deliver, had to keep damage limitations,
06:46especially when they went down to 10 men.
06:48And they did it very well, I think.
06:52If they were to play like that earlier in the tournament,
06:55then they would actually be a lot more positive right now.
06:58But then we've seen a jekyll and Hyde, Wales.
07:01Again, it's another loss.
07:04Not another loss, sorry, a loss.
07:10They failed to convince.
07:13I've said it before, I'll say it again.
07:15They're a one-man team.
07:16They just rely on one guy so much, Gareth Bale.
07:20And they just really failed to inspire me as a unit.
07:27I mean, the opposite of what Italy have done, where they've got...
07:30I mean, that was their bench that was playing yesterday.
07:31But they still played completely as a unit.
07:33There was no missing link.
07:36There was no failure at the back.
07:39There was no nothing.
07:40They just seemed to have this, as I said, almost like an ant-like colony
07:45of knowing where everyone else is, regardless of who's on the park.
07:48And they're still just in place again and again.
07:54Before moving to the Italy game, I have to mention what Imran mentioned about Shakiri.
08:00He's a big-game player, man.
08:01He can score with his right foot, left foot.
08:04Because you remember the bicycle kick he scored in the last Euros.
08:07It was incredible.
08:08It was in the, I think, round of 16 game.
08:12And he has scored in a World Cup decider.
08:14Now, again, he has turned up for his country when it was a Euro 2020 decider.
08:19So, he's a big-game player.
08:21He's a talismanic figure for them.
08:22So, he stepped up, which was brilliant for them.
08:25And also, there was one more guy who made three assists in that game.
08:28Zubair. Stephen Zubair of Frankfurt.
08:31He was absolutely brilliant in that left-hand side.
08:33So, he has got a good company of Rui Costa and Lord Ruff in that, making three assists in a game.
08:40Now, moving on to the Italy game, man.
08:42I mentioned yesterday, even if they make any number of changes,
08:46it's not going to affect their rhythm.
08:47They made like eight changes.
08:49Any other team, even a club in a Premier League or a Spanish league,
08:54make that amount of changes, they will look absolutely disjointed.
08:58But this team didn't look disjointed at all.
09:01They were brilliant.
09:02And especially, there was one man in that middle of the park,
09:06a brilliant, a phenomenal midfielder, Marco Verratti.
09:10He controlled. He pulled the strings.
09:12He did everything for that Italian side.
09:14And it's going to give a headache to Mancini to pick his midfield three for the remaining
09:22knockout stages.
09:23Because Marco Verratti was everywhere on the pitch.
09:26He made more recoveries.
09:28He made more passes into the final third.
09:30He picked up that assist.
09:31He made more tackles than anyone else on that pitch.
09:34He had more touches than anyone else on that pitch.
09:37So, it was a complete performance.
09:39You mentioned the assist, though.
09:40I want to point out.
09:41Do you think he meant that cross?
09:43I don't think he meant it.
09:45But I think that's a training ground routine.
09:48I think that is a training ground routine.
09:50Because I think he absolutely meant it.
09:51Yeah.
09:52I think so.
09:53Because it was...
09:56You know...
09:56He finished from Pessina.
09:57But I'm not sure that cross was meant for that front post.
10:00I think he's looking to get it deeper.
10:01But it could be.
10:03It could be a training ground thing that we've seen.
10:05What do you think?
10:05Do you think he meant it?
10:06Adi, like what you have mentioned.
10:09Everyone is expecting a ball to the other side of the post.
10:12So, it could be a training ground routine.
10:16I watched it again and again.
10:17And the more that I saw it, the more I think he meant it.
10:20And also, it's got the stamp of Mancini all over it.
10:23He used to try these things all the time when he was at Man City.
10:27Just to try and flummox the defence.
10:28And just catch them off guard.
10:31Yeah, I mean...
10:33I don't even think Bennett was in doubt.
10:35I definitely think he meant it.
10:37Clever.
10:37It was clever.
10:39Sahil, what did you think of it?
10:41I mean...
10:42I was very upset that Wales lost, you know.
10:45First of all, I was really, really...
10:47I was really furious with that Ampadu red card.
10:49It didn't look like a red card to me.
10:51Come on.
10:51It was...
10:52Not a red card.
10:53Not a red card.
10:53I've seen more terrible challenges get red cards.
10:57It's not a red card.
10:59So, first of all, that really made me really upset.
11:01But, you know, Wales fought.
11:02You know, come on.
11:03Look at the quality difference.
11:04There's a huge quality difference.
11:05We have to admit.
11:06Where are the Italians and where are Wales?
11:08And it was, first of all, a fantastic finish by Pacino.
11:11You know, okay, decent ball from Verratti.
11:12But that's not an easy finish, you know.
11:14To just flick it.
11:16So, first of all, credit to him, you know.
11:18And eight changes by the Italians.
11:20Like how Shamshiri says, that shows.
11:22Wow, that quality.
11:24But Gareth Bale, Mr. Sitter.
11:26Come on.
11:27You cannot expect him to miss such chances.
11:29You know, I think every person from Wales was praying
11:33that such chances fall to Gareth Bale.
11:35And it's not a tough chance.
11:37I have to say, it should be scored.
11:39Okay, if it was like not easy to come onto the foot.
11:43But no, this was a chance which should be taken without any problem.
11:46But Indian Wales still fought hard.
11:48I mean, even after the Ampadu red card, they fought.
11:51They didn't concede, which was really good.
11:53So, happy for Wales.
11:55But very unlikely that they will progress after the round of 16.
11:59So, speaking of the round of 16,
12:03they're going to be playing the runners-up from Group B.
12:05And that could be anyone from Belgium, Russia, Finland or Denmark.
12:09So, going to be hard for them, isn't it, to progress?
12:12They got to the semi-finals last time.
12:15What do you think?
12:16I think, do you think they'll get through any further
12:18than the last 16 quarter-finals this time, maybe?
12:22Wales?
12:23Yeah.
12:24Yeah, no, I doubt it.
12:26Because I think that if they're runners-up in Group A,
12:31will they not play the winners of Group B?
12:33I think they'll play the runners-up of B.
12:36Yeah.
12:38Right, okay.
12:38Well, then, that means that logistically, they'll probably avoid Belgium.
12:45But if it's Russia, no chance.
12:51I think Russia will just steamroll them.
12:53But if they're playing someone like Denmark,
12:55then they would have a chance.
12:59I would disagree on this point with Matt, unfortunately.
13:02Because I feel Denmark's way better than Russia.
13:04They've got better quality players.
13:06Yeah.
13:06Because I think Wales can beat Russia.
13:08Let's be honest here.
13:09I think Wales can definitely beat Russia.
13:11Denmark would be a huge problem for Wales.
13:13That I'll surely say.
13:14100%.
13:17And if Denmark play like they did against Belgium,
13:20yeah, that'll be really hard.
13:21That'll be really hard for them.
13:23But let's just talk about it a little bit more.
13:25That was their 11th consecutive win.
13:2830th consecutive match without a defeat.
13:31They've equaled their own record.
13:34And they're going to be facing the runners-up from Group C,
13:36which could be the Netherlands, Ukraine, Austria, North Macedonia.
13:41I don't think it's going to be anything else.
13:43So even though those are going to be hard,
13:46but the way they're playing,
13:48and they're going to have their first team back out again,
13:50I can't see anyone stopping Italy at the moment.
13:52Yeah, I think that they've got a swagger about them
13:58and a confidence that no other team has right now.
14:00Even Belgium, with their maximum points,
14:04they conceded a couple of shaky goals.
14:11Italy have definitely been the best team so far.
14:13But I loved Mancini.
14:16Even that swagger has then gone to the dugout as well now.
14:18Did you see the suits they were wearing yesterday?
14:20Their designer pinstripe suits on.
14:25They seem to have that extra bit of class about them
14:29that they're going to be the memorable team of the tournament.
14:31The highlights reel's already full.
14:36They've got that air about them that they're saying,
14:38this is ours.
14:39Nobody's really been talking about us.
14:41They went a little bit under the radar, as you said.
14:43They've got that winning streak.
14:45But coming into the tournament,
14:46everybody was talking about France, Portugal,
14:48even England and Belgium.
14:51Except for Shamsher, obviously,
14:52who raved about Italy in the preview.
14:57They've just quietly gone about their business.
14:59But now that they're actually at the big stage,
15:00they're saying, surprise.
15:03I hope you're all ready for this
15:04because we're ready for it.
15:06I think they're going to really light it up from here on in.
15:10It seems like Italy have got a point to prove
15:13after that last World Cup debacle.
15:16They're playing with a lot of swagger.
15:18The unity in the squad is absolutely incredible.
15:21Those players who came to play yesterday,
15:23they wanted to prove a point to Mancini,
15:25saying that we are also among the starters.
15:27So it's a good unit.
15:29So they are playing as a team.
15:31And the whole squad looks like
15:33meant to be there to win something.
15:36I don't know.
15:36It's going to be difficult to win something.
15:38But the way that they have progressed itself
15:40is absolutely incredible
15:42because you don't see a lot of teams
15:43winning three group games.
15:46In Euro 2016, nobody did that.
15:49And in 2012, only Germany managed to win
15:52all the group games.
15:53So that itself is a rarity.
15:55So whatever they are doing right now
15:56is an incredible thing.
15:58And one particular stat I can mention.
16:01Last time Italy got defeated,
16:05Declan Rice was a Republic of Ireland player.
16:07Jude Bellingham was only like 15 years old.
16:10And Rhys James was playing for Wigan Athletic.
16:13So it's a long time ago.
16:15It was in 2018.
16:18How old were you?
16:2216.
16:27It's a great thing for the Suris.
16:29I love watching them play.
16:30It's a brilliant team to watch.
16:33I mean, surely, you know,
16:35even though if a big team comes,
16:36I won't say like,
16:37no, Italy will not have a chance.
16:39They will give a huge fight to them.
16:40And they should be also termed as favourites now.
16:43I cannot say the underdogs.
16:44You can't call them underdogs anymore.
16:46Yes, maybe before the tournament,
16:48I would have called them underdogs.
16:49But they've shown that they're not.
16:50Any team, Belgium, France.
16:53I don't know.
16:53Now I think England are underdogs.
16:55Let's be honest here.
16:57No, you're right.
16:57We're not even in the picture.
17:00Well, I like it.
17:01Well, yeah, it could be something
17:02we'll see how they do tomorrow against the Czech.
17:04But what I like about Italy so far is,
17:06look, they knew that they'd won the group
17:08after they beat Wales.
17:09But yesterday, they still came out
17:12and they still wanted to win that third game.
17:14They're not thinking about,
17:16you know, trying to finish second
17:17and trying to get an easy round in the last 16.
17:19They're confident.
17:20They finished top and they're saying,
17:23bring it on to everybody else, aren't they?
17:26Yeah, there's no team that wants
17:28to be facing them right now.
17:32The only thing that the other big boys,
17:34maybe Belgium, France,
17:35will be hoping is,
17:37well, maybe not hoping,
17:38but secretly hoping is injuries, suspensions
17:41might weaken that team.
17:44But as Shamsir said,
17:46that bench has just proved yesterday,
17:48you can't weaken that team.
17:50Mancini's got the massive headache now of,
17:53he's got the luxury of all these great players
17:55on his bench.
17:55But now, who does he start?
17:58Because you can't make any mistakes now.
18:00Once you get into the knockout rounds,
18:03one game and it's all over.
18:07He needs to get that absolutely bang on
18:09without disjointing the dressing room
18:12and upsetting a few guys
18:16by not playing them.
18:17Obviously, they play as a team.
18:18They've also got to accept
18:19when they don't make that team,
18:20to back the other boys
18:22who are right for the job.
18:23And that's what creates
18:24a successful team right the way through.
18:27Everyone's got each other's back.
18:29Yeah, definitely.
18:32Now they have reached
18:33to the knockout stages.
18:34You know, it's not about
18:35progressive football anymore.
18:37It's about progression now.
18:38So I think Italy can take
18:42a leaf out of their own history
18:43and pull a 1-0 again
18:45and make it very nasty
18:47for the opponents.
18:48You know, it's going to be
18:50an exciting watch.
18:53Definitely.
18:54Definitely going to be exciting
18:55to see how they...
18:56Good point there, actually, Shamsher.
18:57It's not about playing
18:58beautiful football anymore.
18:59It's about getting through.
19:00So could there be
19:01some more cagey 1-0 wins
19:02like we're used to seeing from Italy?
19:05We'll see as it goes.
19:06But it's four games today.
19:07As ever, let's get some predictions
19:09starting with Belgium against Finland.
19:11I think the Red Devils
19:12are going to have too much for Finland.
19:13Apparently, Pedroina is starting tonight.
19:15I'm going to go with a comfortable
19:173-0 win.
19:18What do you think?
19:20Take the words out of my mouth.
19:22I think 3-0, easy peasy.
19:25And then they're just going to say,
19:27right, OK, here we go.
19:28Bring it on.
19:28Let's get to the next stage.
19:31Like what we have mentioned
19:32about Italy yesterday,
19:33they could rest some players
19:34like Lukaku and Munir
19:36or someone like that.
19:37And they can afford to give
19:39minutes to Eden Hazard
19:40and Kevin De Bruyne,
19:42who are struggling with injuries
19:43at the start of the tournament.
19:45So I think KDV will start
19:46and it's going to be KDV
19:47and both Eden Hazard will start.
19:49And I want to see
19:50an Eden Hazard magic in this game.
19:51So it's going to be a 3-0
19:53with an Eden Hazard
19:55magical influence in that game.
19:58I'm going to go out for a 2-0 win
20:00for Belgium.
20:01And I hope Eden Hazard plays well.
20:03I really like him as a player.
20:04And I hope, you know,
20:05he gets his full fitness
20:06in this particular game.
20:08Yeah, he needs the minutes
20:10to get up to match fitness,
20:11probably will be starting.
20:12All right, the other one
20:13is Russia against Denmark.
20:15Denmark, like I mentioned,
20:16was so good against Belgium.
20:17If they put another shift in like that,
20:19I think they could win 2-1.
20:21What do you think?
20:23Well, as I said,
20:24I think Russia are
20:25the stronger team overall,
20:27because I think Denmark
20:29left everything out on the line
20:30in that one game.
20:32And they will be knackered.
20:36I think Russia will win 2-0.
20:39I think I'm going for a Denmark win.
20:42Because, you know, with a win,
20:44they can finish even second
20:45in their group.
20:46Gives them a...
20:47With just three points,
20:48they can go to the round of 16.
20:50So that will be an added motivation.
20:52And of course, they are missing
20:53a talismanic figure in Ericsson.
20:55But they have a little magician there,
20:58which we have seen in the last game.
20:59Damsgaard is going to dance
21:00around that Russian defense.
21:02And I think he's going to be
21:03instrumental in that game.
21:04I'm going for a 3-1 win for Denmark.
21:10I'm going to go for a 2-1 win to Denmark.
21:12I think there's just better quality
21:13in that team.
21:15And they will give everything out
21:17for Christian Ericsson.
21:18So they have to have that determination,
21:20no matter what.
21:21So I'm going for a 2-1 win for Denmark.
21:23All right, let's move on to
21:25Netherlands and North Macedonia.
21:27It should be a straightforward game,
21:29shouldn't it?
21:29I'm going to go 2-0 Netherlands.
21:34Yeah, I don't see there being
21:35any upsets in this one.
21:36This is...
21:37North Macedonia are not quite hungry
21:39against France.
21:41The Netherlands will just be too strong,
21:43even with Frank de Boer as manager.
21:45And they will...
21:482-0 sounds like a good shout to me.
21:51Yeah, I think even Netherlands can
21:54afford to rest some of their big players.
21:56And still, it will be comfortable for them.
21:58Could be like 1-0 or 2-0 for the Dutch.
22:02I'm going to go for a 3-0 Dutch victory,
22:04you know, just like that.
22:06Because, you know, the Dutch
22:07look at the quality in that team.
22:09And unfortunately, North Macedonia
22:10have not played so far as such a big team.
22:12And the Dutch is termed as, you know,
22:14one of the high-profile teams.
22:16So I'm going to go for a 3-0 win.
22:18We're all back in the Dutch there.
22:19Should be a comfortable win.
22:20But let's see, will there be a shock or not?
22:23And the last one is Ukraine against Austria.
22:25I can see a few goals in this one.
22:27But only if Austria finally play
22:29Alaba in a wide left position.
22:31If they do, they'll probably create
22:33a few chances.
22:34But they've got Yarmolenko,
22:36Jerem Csuk, they've got decent teams.
22:37I'm going to go for 2-2 draw.
22:41Yeah, I think it might be...
22:42I think it will be level pegging.
22:44But I think they'll frustrate each other.
22:46And I'll go for a thrilling 0-0.
22:50Like a Scotland-England game.
22:52Yes.
22:53But I think a point would do a world of good
22:56for both the teams.
22:57Because both will be on four points then.
22:59But I think Ukraine will be...
23:04Can't say that completely.
23:05Because having seen them
23:07struggling a bit against
23:09North Macedonia in the last game...
23:12It was...
23:12Was it North Macedonia?
23:15Yeah, I think so.
23:16Yeah, so they were struggling a bit
23:17against North Macedonia.
23:18So I can't really call for a Ukraine win.
23:20But Ukraine have all the ability
23:23in their squad to defeat Austrian side.
23:27They are a bit defensive-oriented.
23:30I'm going for a Ukraine win, yes.
23:34Andrei Shevchenko's Ukraine
23:35is going to win 2-1.
23:36Against Austria.