mission accomplished. The U21 Devils couldn't wrap their heads around much more after beating Malta on home soil. The humble visitors showed their mettle and increased their enthusiasm with the equaliser. Fortunately for the Belgians, Olaegbe took all three points with a brilliant solo shot from his own half.
Scoring quickly was our mantra in the match against lowly Malta.
The young Red Devils took control of the game immediately. Fofana (formerly Gent) blinded opponents with flashes on his left flank.
But the desired goal? This did not happen. So the Belgians had to keep up the pressure. Eventually, the visitors scored from a Leuven corner kick.
Romeo Firmante – who is currently on loan at Westerlo, but is one of Club Brugge's youth products – got a deserved lead on the board just before half-time.
When the Steuckers (STVV) doubled the lead immediately after half-time, it looked like the job was done.
This was evident in the game image. Our young compatriots are no longer trying to deepen the score. Which is exactly why I started to shake a little.
Because at the hour mark, Malta had already scored the equalizer from a penalty kick. Dropping points to the worst team in the group is something national coach Gilles Swerts wanted to avoid completely ahead of the 2025 European Championship.
He has included Olaigbe (Cercle Brugge) in the fray. The speedy winger caused a sigh of relief and applause in Leuven with a stunning solo strike from his own half.
He rewarded his team with the three points with a cross. This is not a huge confidence boost for the trip to Spain, but everything is still in the hands of the Belgians.
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