Austria-Belgium Player Ratings

Two Axel Witsel strikes near the beginning of each half gave Belgium a well-deserved victory over a listless Austrian team. While Belgium was by no means dominant, they took their chances and never looked nervous (well at least towards the end of the game). Georges Leekens went against conventional thinking, by benching Eden Hazard, but in the end it payed off. So now on to the ratings:

Simon Mignolet, 7.5: A very solid debut for the young Sunderland keeper. He made one smart save on Janko, preventing an equalizing goal. Quite good in the air and his calmness was a welcome sight. He didn't clear a ball far enough on one corner, but no harm done. If he can stay in goal for his club, then I believe we have found our undisputed starter at the position.

Laurent Ciman, 5.5: In the first 30 minutes of the game, Ciman looked like a calamity waiting to happen, as he kept clearing balls into opposing players. He didn't look at all as though he belonged. But then, he started to settle, and lo and behold, he didn't give Arnautovic a sniff as the game wore on. He even gave an assist for the second goal. But, unfortunately, he's still just a stop-gap solution.

Daniel Van Buyten, 6: In all fairness to Van Buyten, he played a very good game overall, dominating the Austrians in the air, something we definitely missed in the home game. But he gave away Austria's biggest chance (with help from Ciman). If it wasn't for Mignolet, he'd be crucified in Belgium right now. If he could cut out the (near-)blunders, I don't think anyone would have a problem with him starting, since he adds such a great physical presence.

Vincent Kompany, 8: Vince the Prince is now King Kompany. Dominating in every sense of the word. He had little trouble with Janko, or the larger Maierhofer. His distribution was good and his classy manner of play reassures his teammates. Only negative was the yellow card he picked up, forcing him to miss the Azerbaijan game on Tuesday.

Jan Vertonghen, 7: A very good defensive game from the Ajax man. He kept his man quite all game. He had one chance on goal, but for the most part, he stayed back to confine the Austrian attack (which is logical seeing as Belgium grabbed the lead very early on).

Timmy Simons, 6.5: A solid performance. While he was nervy in the first 30 minutes, he calmed down and prevented any Austrian incursions through the centre. Doesn't have the attacking ability that Fellaini has, but his experience was vital in preventing the Austrians from coming back into the match.

Steven Defour, 6.5: A quiet game from the Standard-captain. Gave the assist for the first goal, and constantly harried any opposing player coming into the Belgian half. Not a brilliant performance, but a very useful one.

Axel Witsel, 8.5: A fantastic match for the young versatile, midfielder. He took his goals very well, but he also was so good at winning the ball in the air and ground. He was strong on the ball, and gave some great touches as well (the deft flick to the offside Ogunjimi stands out). I'm struggling to remember if even Fellaini has ever had as good a game with the Duivels as Witsel did last night. Man of the match, without a doubt.

Moussa Dembele, 6.5: Strong on the ball, and mindful of his defensive duties. Gave his defender a torrid time. But he lacked the final bit of incisiveness needed in the 16. Still can't fault his excellent work rate. Good choice by Leekens.

Nacer Chadli, 7: While he wasn't very dangerous, Chadli raided the left side quite well, holding the ball, and providing some good crosses. Defended well too (a running theme for this match). He got the nod over Hazard on the left, and to some extent justified it.

Marvin Ogunjimi, 6: No real threat on goal, but he constantly chased down balls, harried the defenders, and was just a general nuisance. A decent game, but I don't believe he's the answer to our lack of production from our strikers.

Kevin Mirallas, 5 (subbed off Ogunjimi in 80th minute): In his limited minutes, he looked quite good, showing some attacking bite.

All in all, it was a good showing by the Rode Duivels, with a mental fortitude that has been lacking recently. Next up is Azerbaijan, a must-win game (and a game that should be won comfortably). I think the Duivels will again win, with the same scoreline of 2-0, which should them back into a good position to qualify for the Euro Cup.

Austria-Belgium Euro Cup Qualifier Preview: Do or Die

On the 12th of October of last year, the Rode Duivels played one of their most memorable games in recent memory. A topsy-turvy 4-4 draw was played out in the Heizel Stadium, where a late Austrian goal snatched away 2 crucial points. In all fairness, that should have been the end of Belgium's qualifying campaign, but Turkey inexplicably only managed to Azerbaijan. With that result, Belgium remains in striking distance from the coveted 2nd place in the group. But to have any chance of it, a victory is needed in Vienna this coming Friday.

The injury bug has decimated the Belgian squad with two vital players missing in Marouane Fellaini and Thomas Vermaelen. Both Nicholas Lombaerts and Bjorn Vleminckx are looking doubtful for this match, which is a shame, since both these players have been having outstanding seasons in Russia and Holland respectively. And Jonathan Legear, the man who tormented Austria in his first cap, will also be absent. That leaves Georges Leekens with some headaches. While Vermaelen has excellent cover in Vincent Kompany and Jan Vertonghen, there is no one on this squad who can do what Fellaini does. The only one who can possibly measure up is the versatile Axel Witsel, but he lacks Fellaini's ability to break-up opposing passes. If I know Leekens (well, going on his previous starting XIs), here's how I think Belgium will start the match:

----------------------------------------Proto---------------------------------------

Vanden Borre--------------Kompany------------Van Buyten-----------Vertonghen

-----------------------Defour-------------------------Simons----------------------

----------------------------------------Witsel--------------------------------------

-------------Hazard------------------------------------------------Chadli----------

---------------------------------------Lukaku-------------------------------------

That's just guess of course, but I have a feeling Proto will start due to his good form in Belgium. Antony Vanden Borre will likely beat out Toby Alderweireld for the right-back spot because in the last match, Arnautovic simply dominated the Ajax centre-back (even Leekens acknowledged it). While Vanden Borre has been inactive for awhile, he's likely the best option, especially when supported by his friend Kompany (though one could make the argument that Denis Odoi of Sint-Truiden is much more deserving of a selection). I understand most Belgium fans won't be thrilled to see Van Buyten back, but he's starting for Bayern Munich again (not saying much since Breno and Badstuber have been horrendous), and his aerial dominance will likely come in handy against the physically imposing Austrians. While I'm not a massive fan of Vertonghen playing left-back, he'll likely win out over Sebastien Pocognoli due to form, and his defensive ability. Unfortunately, Leekens didn't select Bart Buysse, who is starting at the left-back position for FC Twente. As well, the revelation of the season in the Jupiler League, Derick Katuku Tshimanga, a speedy wing-back, has just come back from injury, so unfortunately he was not considered for selection.

It's pretty much a given that Timmy Simons and Steven Defour will start the game against Austria. Simons has been having a good season with Nuremburg and it's well known that Leekens values his experience. Steven Defour's return from injury coincided with Standard Liege's and Axel Witsel's resurgence. His vision, tenacity and footballing intelligence make him an ideal central midfielder; Leekens will surely not overlook him. I expect Axel Witsel to fill a versatile, box-to-box role (something he did very well in the latest friendly against Finland), playing just ahead of Defour. That being said, it's well known that Leeken's admires the physical strength of Jelle Van Damme. Thus, it may be possible that the Standard trio of Van Damme, Witsel and Defour lineup in the midfield alongside Simons (Witsel on the right, Van Damme on the left). In this scenario, Leekens would be banking on a match where both flanks are well guarded, giving Austria little to work with. The shortcomings would be the obvious lack of midfield and wing creativity.

On the attacking side of things, the picture gets cloudy. In short, Belgium has a lot of good attacking players, but few good goal scorers. I expect Lukaku to play because he's looked very good in the last two friendlies (as an aside, I find that Lukaku plays much too rigidly with Anderlecht, but with Belgium, he drifts more to the flanks, giving him more freedom to operate and create). Obviously, Eden Hazard should be in the lineup (either as a winger, or with a free role), but we all know Leekens doesn't particularly like him. Still, it's hard to overlook the best player in Ligue 1. The last attacker, if Leekens opts for a three-man attack, is hard to predict since Moussa Dembele, Dries Mertens, Kevin Mirallas, and Nacer Chadli all can stake a reasonable claim to the position. Dembele and Mirallas are better second strikers than they are wingers. And Dries Mertens may be a little too similar to Hazard. So Chadli will likely win out over those three. But who the hell knows, Leekens may just decide to go with the Genk duo Jelle Vossen and Marvin Ogunjimi because of their chemistry (like he did in the first game against Austria).

All of this is speculation, but what I do know is that come Friday, 2,000 Belgian fans will be present in the Ernst Happel Stadium ready to cheer on les Diables Rouges. I think their long journey will have a happy ending, with Belgium surprising Austria to win 1-3. Let's hope I'm right.