Belgium will give Spain a run for their money, says coach - Sports - The Jakarta Post

Spain entered the tournament as one of the favourites and after a slow start found their swagger with a 3-0 win over Austria in the round of 32.

Belgium's forward #10 Romelu Lukaku (2nd left) reacts with teammates after a goal then disallowed for a handball during the UEFA Euro 2024 Group E football match between Belgium and Slovakia at the Frankfurt Arena in Frankfurt am Main on June 17, 2024. (AFP/Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV )

Belgium are embracing their underdog status ahead of Friday's World Cup quarter-final against Spain, with coach Rudi Garcia confident they have the attacking quality and belief to upset the European champions.Spain entered the tournament as one of the favourites and after a slow start found their swagger with a 3-0 win over Austria in the round of 32.

While Spain coach Luis de la Fuente struck a philosophical tone in his own pre-match media conference, quoting Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, Garcia leaned instead on analytics and squad management.

"We know we are playing one of the favourites. Spain are probably the best at ball possession and they have been playing in a recognisable way for 15 or 20 years," he said.