LONDON: The scoreline rarely lies and unfortunately for Tunisia this match was not an exception to the rule.
If it did perhaps not reveal the complete truth of the match it is that, if anything, it does not fully illustrate Belgium’s dominance. The gulf in class was all too apparent from the moment the match started — that is not to criticize the North Africans, rather to underline how one-dimensional the side was made to look at times.
Nabil Maaloul’s side came into the tournament with a reputation as a defensively solid outfit, but one that lacked creativity and imagination. Apart from the being defensively solid bit, that was born out by this performance. Belgium attacked from the start and it was all too easy for Eden Hazard, Kevin de Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku to cut Tunisia’s defense open at will.
Hazard was at his marauding best and as early as the 20th second drew the first foul. The next challenge on him led to the referee pointing to the penalty spot, he stepped up and slotted the ball home. From that moment on there was only one winner.
Just 10 minutes later Belgium had doubled their advantage. Lukaku made a pretty simple run yet found himself in acres of space before drilling the ball left-footed into the bottom corner. It was just the start Maaloul wanted to avoid.
Lukaku and Hazard both had great chances before that and while Tunisia got one back through a Dylan Bronn header, the tone for the match had already been set.
The Eagles of Carthage enjoyed their best period of the match after Bronn’s strike, Ferjani Sassi and Wahbi Khazri both getting shots in on goal. If there was a moment they could have got back into the match, it was then.
But the chances for Belgium kept coming, the high press of Tunisia affording space for Hazard and Co. to wreak havoc.
Just before half-time the inevitable next goal for Belgium came. Thomas Meunier played a neat pass for Lukaku to run onto and dink the ball over the onrushing Farouk Mustapha in the Tunisia net.
It did not get any better after the break. Just a few minutes after the
restart a wonderful ball from Toby Alderweireld, from inside his own half, found Hazard running through. His close control was perfect, allowing him the time to go around the keeper before firing home.
As if to illustrate Belgium’s dominance, Michy Batshuayi came on for Lukaku in the 67th minute and could easily have scored four goals. As it happened he only got the one in the 90th minute.
It is not an exaggeration to say the European powerhouses could have ended up with seven or eight goals. Khazri got a consolation for Tunisia in injury time, but that could not hide the fact that they were second best for the entire match.
Other than Tunisia’s limitations this clash illustrated that Belgium are genuine title contenders. They played with pace and panache that left their manager Roberto Martinez a very happy man. “I am very satisfied. It is not easy to score the number of goals we got today,” he said.
“It is good to see the team coming together.
“We have the talent and it was great to see the way we played. Credit to Tunisia, they pressed high up and made it an open game. There was a lot of action in both boxes.
“We look in good shape going forward, and cannot ask more than qualification after two games.”
