A goal by Batshuayi and a penalty saved by Courtois gave Belgium a golden success against a very good Canada.

1-0 the final result of the challenge staged at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, with many recriminations from the North Americans for another two very dubious penalty episodes and not judged punishable by the referee and the Var. Martinez's team thus wets her debut at Qatar 2022 with a heavy victory, which allows her to climb to first place in Group F after the draw between Morocco and Croatia.

Very proactive first half from the North Americans, who develop a lot of play on the wings and in the 8' find the episode for the possible opening goal: Buchanan kicks from inside the area, Carrasco touches with his wide arm and induces the intervention of the Var, who calls the referee and leads him to assign the penalty.

Davies goes from the penalty spot, but Courtois hypnotizes him, then they save him.

The "Red Devils" seem to have few ideas, they waste a couple of potential chances by making the last choice wrong and risk conceding at least another couple of penalties to the Canadians: the first is a sensational oversight by the linesman who signals offside after Hazard's wrong back pass , which leads to a contact between Vertonghen and Buchanan (the Var does not even intervene), the second instead seems to be a clear "step on foot" by Witsel on Laryea, this too not recognized by the referee and the Var.

After many offensive sorties not taken advantage of by a good Canada, Belgium hit right close to the interval at their first real chance: Batshuayi picked up a ball thrown from the back by Aldeweireld and with his left foot he stabbed Borjan for 1-0. 

In the second half, the Canucks continue to press and press with great character, persistently, but without much luck, looking for the gap to hurt the Belgians forced to defend themselves with their nails.

Many attempts by the Canadians to sink the shot, but in the end Courtois was called into question very few times: in the 80th minute the intervention was perhaps the most complicated of the second half for the Real goalkeeper, who blocked a diving header of Larin.

scoreboard

BELGIUM-CANADA 1-0

BELGIUM

(3-4-2-1): Courtois 7.5;

Dendoncker 6.5, Alderweireld 7, Vertonghen 6.5;

Chestnuts 6, Tielemans 5.5 (1'st Onana 5.5), Witsel 5.5, Carrasco 5 (1'st Meunier 6);

De Bruyne 5.5, E. Hazard 5.5 (17'st Trossard 6);

Batshuayi 6.5 (34'st Openda SV).

On the bench: Mignolet, Casteels, Faes, Debast, Theate, Vanaken, T. Hazard, De Ketelaere, Mertens, Doku.

Coach: Martinez 6. 

CANADA

(3-4-2-1): Borjan 6;

Johnston 6, Victoria 6, Miller 6.5;

Laryea 6.5 (29'st Adekugbe 6), Hutchinson 6 (13'st Koné 6), Eustaquio 6 (36'st Millar sv), Davies 5;

Buchanan 6 (36'st Osorio sv), Hoilett 6 (13'st Larin 6);

David 6. On the bench: Pantemis, St. Clair, Cornelius, Waterman, Piette, Fraser, Kaye, Wotherspoon, Ugbo, Cavallini.

Coach: Herdman 6. 

Referee

: Sikazwe (Zambia) 4.5. 

NETWORK

: 44'pt Batshuayi. 

NOTES

: Serene evening, pitch in good condition.

At 11 pt Courtois rejects a penalty kick to Davies. 

Booked

: Carrasco, Meunier, Onana, Davies, Johnston.

Corners 4-4. 

Recovery

: 5'pt, 5'st.