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Italia - Belgium (friendly game) on 30.05.2008

Result : 3-1

Antonio Di Natale scored two goals in the first half and Mauro Camoranesi added another in the second as Italy defeated Belgium in Florence in their last friendly game ahead of UEFA EURO 2008™.

Comfortable win
Di Natale opened the scoring before the ten-minute mark and made it two just before the break. He was then replaced but Camoranesi did not take long to make it three. Second-half substitute Wesley Sonck headed in a corner to grab a consolation but the world champions are looking in good shape for their 9 June Group C opener against Belgium's neighbours, the Netherlands.

Di Natale opener
After a minute's silence to mourn former Belgium striker François Sterchele, who died in a car accident earlier this month, Italy started well and carved out the first opening. Christian Panucci headed just wide following a centre from the right by Camoranesi, but a minute later the Azzurri were back for more. This time, Andrea Pirlo dribbled past Sébastien Pocognoli with a series of tricks before crossing to the far post for Di Natale, whose perfect right-footed volley gave Belgium goalkeeper Stijn Stijnen no chance.

Advantage doubled
Italy coach Roberto Donadoni was fielding a 4-3-3 formation with Luca Toni, Di Natale and Camoranesi in attack, while Alberto Aquilani was the surprise inclusion in midfield alongside Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso. Together, they continued to control the game without much fuss and four minutes from the break they made it two, as Belgium lost possession and Aquilani immediately found Di Natale on the box. The Udinese Calcio man drilled in his second with a precise low shot.

Half-time changes
During half-time, Donadoni replaced Di Natale with Serie A top-scorer Alessandro Del Piero, while also sending Giorgio Chiellini and Fabio Grosso on for Panucci and Fabio Cannavaro. That meant the captain's armband went to Gianluigi Buffon, but the Italy goalkeeper remained very much a spectator as his team went three up four minutes after the restart. Del Piero served his Juventus team-mate Camoranesi with a fine pass on the right and the winger sent his effort between Stijnen's legs and into the bottom of the net.

Sonck consolation
Donadoni also gave Antonio Cassano and Marco Borriello some playing time, with the latter missing a glorious opportunity to make it four when presented with an open goal by Gianluca Zambrotta's pass from the right channel. There was still time for another goal, but it came at the other end from Sonck.

Events and lineups

Italia : Buffon ; Panucci (46' Grosso), Cannavaro (46' Chiellini), Barzagli, Zambrotta ; Gattuso, Pirlo, Aquilani (75' Ambrosini) ; Di Natale (46' Del Piero), Camoranesi (61' Cassano), Toni (75' Borriello)

Belgium : Stijnen ; Hoefkens (46' Swerts), Kompany, Vertonghen, Pocognoli ; Simons, Mudingayi (85' Huysegems), Fellaini, Witsel (70' Gillet), Defour (57' Mirallas) ; Dembélé (57' Sonck)

Goals : 9' Di Natale 1-0, 41' Di Natale 2-0, 49' Camoranesi 3-0, 90+2' Sonck 3-1

Yellow card : Swerts (72')

Referee : Martin Atkinson (Eng)

Audience : 12.500

Belgium - Morocco (friendly game) on 26.03.2008

Result : 1-4

Witsel's goal

Belgium : Stijnen; Gillet (46' Swerts), Van Buyten (46' Fellaini), Vermaelen, Vertonghen; Mudingayi, Kompany (85' Geraerts), Simons; De Smet (46' Witsel), Mirallas (63' Sonck), Dembélé (81' Pieroni)

Morocco : Lamyaghri, Basser, Erbate, Aini, El Kadouri, Safri (61' Hermach), Kharja, Hadji, Alloudi (89' Aboucherouane), Sektioui (39' Boussoufa), Chamakh (89' Benjelloun)

Referee : M. Nijhuis (Nederland)

Yellow cards : Erbate, Vermaelen, Simons


Goals : 14' Alloudi 0-1, 35' Sektioui 0-2, 50' Witsel 1-2, 87' El Zhar 1-3, 90' Benjelloun 1-4



PCO/Comm. & Market.

Standard - Belgium (training match) on 06.02.2008

Result : 0-1

Luigi Pieroni

Events and lineups
 
Standard : De Vriendt, Marcos (46' Dachelet), Phibel, Sarr (31' Dante, 80' Kocabas), PJ Monteyne (46' Dembéle), Goreux, (86' Servais), Fred, Junior (46' Nollevaux, 90' Yagan), Toama (70' Papassarantis), Kabamba (46' Diop), De Camargo (46' Villano, 90' Marloye)
 
Belgium : Vandenbussche (46' Ma-Kalambay), Gillet, Van Buyten, Kompany (46' Vermaelen), Lombaerts (46' Vertonghen), Buffel (83' Haroun), Simons (46' Geraerts), Fellaini (83' De Smet), Van Damme, Pieroni, Sterchele (46' Swerts)
 
Goals : 6' Fellaini 0-1, 80' Buffel 0-2

Azerbaijan - Belgium (EC 2008 qualification match) on 21.11.2007

Result : 0-1

Luigi Pieroni scored the only goal in Baku to seal Belgium's fifth win of a disappointing UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifying campaign.

Azerbaijan bottom
The visiting side enjoyed the better of the play at the Tofikh Bakhramov-Republic Stadium and Pieroni got their reward on 53 minutes. René Vandereycken's team finish fifth in Group A, with Azerbaijan bottom on five points from their 12 games.

Belgium press
Belgium began positively and midfielder Gill Swerts came close on 17 minutes, Azerbaijan goalkeeper Farkhad Veliyev doing well to keep out his 20-metre drive. Veliyev saved again five minutes later, catching Daniel Van Buyten's header following Swerts's dangerous set-piece. Azerbaijan were largely restricted to shots from distance with forward Zaur Ramazanov going closest with a strike that flashed narrowly wide on 37 minutes.

Pieroni goal
Belgium broke the deadlock after the interval when Pieroni pounced with an opportunist goal. Azerbaijan defender Rail Melikov blocked a header but Pieroni seized on the rebound and turned the ball into the bottom left corner. The 27-year-old missed an opening to double the advantage in the 65th minute when he screwed a close-range attempt wide after finding space in the box.

Late misses
Belgium controlled possession as the game wore on and it was not until the 85th minute that Azerbaijan finally worked a meaningful opportunity. Substitute Leandro Gomes got himself into a good position on the edge of the area yet shot wide. When, in added time, Branimir Subašić blazed over from a matter of metres, Azerbaijan's final chance had gone.

Events and lineups

Azerbaijan : Veliyev, Melikov, Abbasov, Sadygov, Guliyev, Tagizade (70' Gomes), Kerimov (84' Mamedov), Gurbanov, Maharramov (77' Ponomarev), Ramazanov, Subasic

Belgium : Vandenbussche, Gillet, Van Buyten, Van Damme, Vertonghen, Swerts, Geraerts (46' Defour), Fellaini, Grégoire (68' Goor), Dembélé, Pieroni (81' Mirallas)

Goal : 52' Pieroni 0-1

Yellow cards : Tagizade (27'), Geraerts (35'), Pieroni (41'), Fellaini (81')

Poland will line up alongside Europe's élite for the first time in Austria and Switzerland next summer after goals from Euzebiusz Smolarek either side of half-time against Belgium secured a 2-0 victory and safe passage to UEFA EURO 2008™ from Group A.

Lucky breaks
Smolarek took advantage of two lucky breaks to score twice in five minutes and send the home side through. The 26-year-old netted his first on 45 minutes, showing real pace to race on to a loose ball, evade goalkeeper Stijn Stijnen and slide the ball into the empty net. The forward was again in the right place at the right time four minutes after the restart, chipping the ball cheekily over Stijnen.

Boruc save
After a cagey opening, the first slice of drama came from a set-piece, Poland goalkeeper Artur Boruc tipping Jan Vertonghen's free-kick over the bar. However, the match was effectively over following Smolarek's quick-fire double and Belgium offered little threat of a fightback thereafter. Daniel Van Buyten's audacious volley, which sailed harmlessly wide, was about the best they could manage and Poland nearly added a third ten minutes from time when the inspirational Jacek Krzynówek's cut-back was cleared by some last-ditch defending.

Events and lineups

Poland : Boruc, Bronowicki, Bak, Smolarek (85' Kosowski), Krzynowek, Zurawski (82' Murawski), Wasilewski, Zewlakow, Lobodzinski (46' Blaszczykowski), Sobolewski, Lewandowski

Belgium : Stijnen, Gillet, Van Buyten, Haroun (84' Geraerts), Goor, Mirallas (76' Huysegems), Vertonghen, Fellaini, Dembélé, Defour (61' Pieroni), Kompany

Goals : 45' Smolarek 1-0, 49' Smolarek 2-0

Yellow cards : Bak (33'), Blaszczykowski (90+1')


PCO/Comm.

Belgium - Armenia (EC 2008 qualification match) on 17.10.2007

Result : 3-0

Three second-half goals earned Belgium victory against Armenia, but their UEFA EURO 2008™ qualification hopes were ended by results elsewhere in Group A.

Triple strike
Substitute Wesley Sonck put Belgium ahead on 63 minutes before Moussa Dembélé doubled the advantage six minutes later. Karel Geraerts added a third on 76 minutes to secure Belgium's fourth win in qualifying but they are now unable to overhaul second-placed Portugal after their 2-1 success in Kazakhstan.

Armenia bright
Armenia had started promisingly, with Artavazd Karamyan drawing a save from Belgium goalkeeper Stijn Stijnen from the edge of the area. Belgium too had chances and Gevorg Kasparov spread himself to stop Kevin Mirallas's effort when the 20-year-old striker was played through one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Artur Voskanyan was next to test Stijnen, who turned the ball behind for a corner.

Inspired substitution
Belgium coach René Vandereycken replaced Mirallas with Sonck at the interval as he looked for more from his side, but it was Armenia that pressed. Samvel Melkonyan and Levon Pachajyan each came close before Melkonyan cut in from the left and shot into the side-netting. The breakthrough, though, went to Belgium on 63 minutes. Nicolas Lombaerts's left-wing cross found Bart Goor who hit the crossbar on the volley. The ball looped into the air and Sonck beat Kasparov to the rebound to nod in.

Further goals
Belgium were soon 2-0 up after Dembélé burst into the penalty box before firing into the top corner. The third goal followed 14 minutes from time when another Lombaerts centre reached Geraerts on the penalty spot and he headed the ball down and beyond Kasparov to ensure a comfortable finish for the hosts.

Events and lineups

Belgium : Stijnen, Lombaerts (83' Vertonghen), Simons, Van Buyten (60' Kompany), Goor, Mirallas (46' Sonck), Swerts, Fellaini, Dembélé, Geraerts, Defour

Armenia : Kasparov, Dokhoyan, Hovsepyan, Arzumanyan, Khachatryan (57' Hakobyan), Arakelyan, Voskanyan, Karamyan, Melkonyan (70' Zebelyan), Pachajyan, Tadevosyan (82' Mkrtchyan)

Goals : 63' Sonck 1-0, 69' Dembélé 2-0, 76' Geraerts 3-0

Yellow card : Swerts (2')

Belgium - Finland (EC 2008 qualification match) on 13.10.2007

Result : 0-0

Finland's UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifying hopes were dealt a blow after they played out a dour goalless draw in Belgium.

Lost ground
With Portugal prevailing in Azerbaijan and Poland beating Kazakhstan, Finland needed a win to keep pace in Group A but were constantly thwarted by a resolute Belgium. Roy Hodgson's men had a first-half goal ruled out for offside yet squandered numerous other opportunities to seal victory and now trail leaders Poland by four points. They are level on 20 points with second-placed Portugal, having played a game more.

Near misses
Finland were the better side in the first half and Alexei Eremenko Jr almost fired them into an early lead when he tested Stijn Stijnen with a stinging 20-metre strike. At the other end Vincent Kompany went close with a low free-kick that skidded narrowly wide. The Finns were creating chances down both flanks, with Joonas Kolkka supplying some teasing crosses, but the vital touch proved elusive. Although Jonatan Johansson had the ball in the net shortly before half-time, he was adjudged offside from Daniel Sjölund's pass across goal.

Better from Belgium
The hosts in Brussels were brighter after the break and Moussa Dembélé capitalised on some sloppy defending to race through one-on-one with Jussi Jääskeläinen, but the Bolton Wanderers FC goalkeeper was out quickly to parry the ball to safety. Finland responded with a flowing move through Belgium's back line only for Kolkka to rifle a shot into the side-netting.

Moussa Dembélé

Point apiece
When the Scandinavian team were awarded a free-kick inside Belgium's area after Stijnen had handled a back-pass, they failed to make it count as another opportunity went begging. Desperately seeking the winner, Sjölund then broke clear of the defence yet his shot hit the foot of Stijnen and rebounded to safety as the match ended goalless.

Events and lineups

Belgium : Stijnen, Lombaerts, Van Buyten, Kompany, Gillet, Simons, Mudingayi, Haroun (67' Goor), Grégoire (67' Sonck), Mirallas (84' Sterchele), Dembélé

Finland : Jääskeläinen, Hyypiä, Pasanen, Tihinen, Kallio, Eremenko Jr, Eremenko, Riihilahti, Johansson (90' Kuqi), Kolkka, Sjölund (90+2' Nurmela)

Yellow cards : Eremenko Jr (43'), Mirallas (73')

Belgium - Serbia (EC 2008 qualification match) on 22.08.2007

Result : 3-2

Belgium kept alive their slim hopes of qualifying for UEFA EURO 2008™ from Group A by denting Serbia's own aspirations in Brussels.

Dembélé double
Goals from Moussa Dembélé and debutant Kevin Mirallas, a star of the summer's UEFA European Under-21 Championship, inside the opening half-hour gave the hosts a two-goal lead but Zdravko Kuzmanović's 73rd-minute strike halved the deficit. Dembélé restored the cushion with two minutes remaining before Kuzmanović set up a thrilling finish.

Moussa Dembélé

Early opener
Serbia started the brighter with Boško Janković, another to shine at the U21 finals, firing wide and Kuzmanović forcing a save from Stijn Stijnen before Belgium opened the scoring in the tenth minute. Steven Defour sent in a cross from the right and Dembélé slotted the ball in from 12 metres for his second international goal.

Deserved second
Dembélé came close to doubling his tally four minutes later but his shot was saved by Vladimir Stojković before Thomas Vermaelen fired over the bar. In the 30th minute, Belgium got a deserved second goal as teenager Mirallas made it a debut to remember with a solo effort, beating Stojković with a shot into the far corner from the edge of the area.

Serbia reply
Miloš Krasić entered the fray early in the second half and his shot on the hour mark was blocked by Vermaelen. Belgium coach René Vandereycken replaced Mirallas with defender Anthony Vanden Borre soon after in an attempt to hold on to the lead, but Serbia pulled a goal back 17 minutes from time when Kuzmanović converted Ivica Dragutinović's cross from close range.

Tense finish
Dembélé's second goal, which beat Stojković at his near post from close range, looked to have put the game to rest but Kuzmanović's second in added time from 12 metres made it a tense final few minutes. Serbia have fallen three points behind second-placed Finland, who trail leaders Poland by two points, while Belgium are four points further back of the second qualifying position.

Events and lineups

Belgium : Stijnen, Simons, Hoefkens, Vermaelen, Kompany, Mudingayi, Goor, Geraerts, Mirallas (67' Vanden Borre), Dembélé (90' Lombaerts), Defour (86' M. Mpenza)

Serbia : Stojkovic, Rukavina, Vidic, Krstajic, Dragutinovic, Kovacevic, Kuzmanovic, Jankovic, Koroman (56' Krasic), Lazovic (70' Smiljanic), Pantelic (56' Jovanovic)

Goals : 10' Dembélé 1-0, 30' Mirallas 2-0, 73' Kuzmanovic 2-1, 88' Dembélé 3-1, 90 + 1' Kuzmanovic 3-2

Yellow cards : Goor (32'), Krstajic (78'), Vidic (90 + 4')

Finland - Belgium (EC 2008 qualification match) on 06.06.2007

Result : 2-0

Finland got their UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifying bid back on track with a win that all but ended Belgium's slim hopes of reaching the finals from Group A.

Well placed
Goals from Jonatan Johansson and Alexei Eremenko Jr ensured Finland bounced back from Saturday's home defeat by Serbia in style against opponents forced to play most of the second half with ten men after Marouane Fellaini's dismissal. Roy Hodgson's team are now level on points with second-placed Serbia and Portugal; Belgium are seven adrift of that trio with six games remaining.

Advantage Finland
Belgium, beaten 2-1 at home by Portugal at the weekend, created the first opening in the second minute, Emile Mpenza putting a header wide, yet this proved one of few chances in a half in which they mainly had to defend. Markus Heikkinen gave Stijn Stijnen early work with a long-range strike, while Joonas Kolkka and Eremenko fired into the crowd from distance. Kolkka then delivered a perfect centre on 27 minutes which was well met in the centre of the area by Johansson to put Finland ahead. Although Tom De Mul and Steven Defour combined to carve out an opportunity for Belgium, this was nodded over by Defour.

Doubling up
Seven minutes into the second period, Fellaini fouled Hannu Tihinen and earned his second yellow card to leave his side with an uphill struggle. And it proved too steep a task with the hosts doubling their advantage in the 71st minute. Johansson was the provider as his cross from the left picked out midfielder Eremenko on the right of the penalty box and he made no mistake with a finish from ten metres. Finland next take on Kazakhstan on 22 August when Belgium welcome Serbia.

Events and lineups

Finland : Jääskeläinen, Kallio, Pasanen, Nyman, Tihinen, Kolkka, Heikkinen, Eremenko, Väyrynen, Eremenko Jr (89' Forssell), Johansson

Belgique : Stijnen, Vermaelen (45+2' Martens), Simons, Clement, De Man, Van Damme, Vertonghen, Fellaini, Defour, De Mul (55' Haroun), E. Mpenza (86' Sterchele)

Buts : 27' Johansson 1-0, 71' Eremenko Jr 2-0

Cartes jaunes : Fellaini (15'), Väyrynen (37'), Van Damme (85')

Carte rouge : Fellaini (52')

Belgium - Portugal (EC 2008 qualification match) on 02.06.2007

Result : 1-2

Hélder Postiga scored a sumptuous long-range winner as Portugal kept the pressure on Group A leaders Poland with a hard-fought 2-1 victory away to Belgium in Brussels.

Above : Stijn Stijnen, Marouane Fellaini, Timmy Simons, Philippe Clement, Jan Vertonghen
Below : Emile Mpenza, François Sterchele, Carl Hoefkens, Thomas Vermaelen, Steven Defour, Gaby Mudingayi

Lively wingers
Frustrated for much of the encounter, the FC Porto striker produced a memorable swerving effort past the excellent Stijn Stijnen to set the visitors on course for a victory that seemed inevitable for much of the first half. With Cristiano Ronaldo absent, the Belgian defenders may have imagined an easier night to that which ended in a 4-0 defeat when the sides met in March, but Nani and Deco soon banished such thoughts as Luiz Felipe Scolari's team enjoyed an impressive start.

Stijnen busied
Deco soon forced Stijnen into action with a near-post strike, though the goalkeeper should not have been given a chance on eleven minutes when Nani's beautifully-weighted cross found Hélder Postiga in space. Yet with the goal at his mercy, the forward headed straight at Stijnen and Nani began to take matters into his own hands. He twice rifled efforts just wide before finally hitting his second international goal two minutes before half-time, weaving into the penalty area and unleashing a low drive to which Stijnen got the faintest of touches as it went in off the upright.

Late red card
It looked to have provided a platform from which Portugal could build but Belgium had other ideas. Only the excellent reactions of Ricardo denied François Sterchele immediately after the restart and it set the tone for a vibrant spell for the home team, who equalised on 55 minutes when Steven Defour's cross was headed in by Marouane Fellaini. It was the youngster's first international goal but Hélder Postiga's solo effort ensured the points went to Portugal, though Hugo Almeida's late dismissal took away some of the gloss.

Events and lineups

Belgium : Stijnen, Hoefkens (45+2' De Man), Clement, Simons, Vermaelen, Defour, Mudingayi (76' Geraerts), Fellaini, Vertonghen, Sterchele (61' De Mul), E. Mpenza

Portugal : Ricardo, Miguel (53' Bosingwa), Meira, Andrade, Ferreira, Deco, Petit, Tiago, Quaresma, Postiga (79' Almeida), Nani (86' Duda)

Goals : 43' Nani 0-1, 55' Fellaini 1-1, 64' Helder Postiga 1-2

yellow cards : Postiga (52'), Defour (63'), Quaresma (76'), Petit (78')

Red card : Almeida (90+4')

Audience : 42.000


PCO/Comm.

Portugal - Belgium (EC 2008 qualification match) on 24.03.2007

Result : 4-0

Portugal maintained their 100 per cent home record in UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifying with a hugely convincing 4-0 victory over Belgium at Lisbon's José Alvalade stadium.

Second-half blitz
After a first half where they failed to translate their vast superiority into goals, Luiz Felipe Scolari's side made amends as second-half strikes from Nuno Gomes, Cristiano Ronaldo (2) and Ricardo Quaresma secured a third straight home success in Group A. Now up to third in the section, they will hope to climb even higher when they visit Serbia on Wednesday.

Portugal possession
From the fourth minute, when the skilful Quaresma swerved an effort wide, it seemed a matter of when, rather than if, Portugal would make the breakthrough. The same player then shot wastefully over after Tiago played him through on 13 minutes, but with Belgium struggling to keep the ball, further chances followed. Ronaldo alone went close three times in a first half when Portugal enjoyed 69 per cent of possession.

Breakthrough
Nuno Gomes squandered a glorious opportunity to open the second period with a goal, placing a left-foot volley wide after Tiago's lofted ball had found him unmarked. The striker made no mistake on 53 minutes, though, when he tapped in after fine work by Ronaldo and João Moutinho, and three minutes later it was 2-0 as Ronaldo headed in at the far post from Quaresma's superb chip. If Belgium retained any faint hopes, these vanished altogether when debutant Thomas Chatelle missed an open goal with his first touch.

Quaresma cracker
Quaresma registered the goal of the night in the 69th minute with a superb first international strike, bending the ball over Stijn Stijnen and into the far corner with the outside of his right boot. The Belgium keeper then denied Tiago and Nani, yet was beaten a final time on 75 minutes when Ronaldo shimmied inside his marker and directed a low effort into the net from the edge of the box. On this evidence Portugal can travel to Serbia full of confidence; Belgium, on the contrary, have plenty to do before their next qualifier – at home to the Portuguese on 2 June.

Events and lineups

Portugal : Ricardo, Miguel, Carvalho, Andrade, Ferreira, Tiago, Petit (76' Meira), Moutinho, Ronaldo (78' Viana), Nuno Gomes, Quaresma (70' Nani)

Belgium : Stijnen, Hoefkens (64' Sterchele), Van Buyten, Clement, Van Der Heyden, Defour, Mudingayi, De Man, Fellaini, Martens (56' Chatelle), M. Mpenza (81' Van Damme)

Goals : 53' Nuno Gomes 1-0, 55' Ronaldo 2-0, 68' Quaresma 3-0, 75' Ronaldo 4-0

Yellow cards : Hoefkens (15'), De Man (37'), Ronaldo (45'), Fellaini (59'), Van Damme (88')

Belgium - Czech Republic (friendly match) on 07.02.2007

Result : 0-2

Jan Koller returned to his former stamping ground in Brussels to inspire the Czech Republic to victory against struggling Belgium.

Early goal
The giant AS Monaco FC forward scored 42 goals in 64 Belgian league matches between 1999 and 2001 for RSC Anderlecht, and took just six minutes tonight to make his mark by heading in a Marek Jankulovski cross. It was exactly the start the Belgium coach René Vandereycken had hoped to avoid, having made six changes from the team that lost their last UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifier to Poland on 15 November.

Simons dropped
The most drastic of those saw captain Timmy Simons dropped to the bench, while Marouane Fellaini of R. Standard de Liège and fellow midfielder Maarten Martens of AZ Alkmaar made debuts. The Red Devils had a chance to draw level soon after as Luigi Pieroni charged in on the Czech Republic goal, where Petr Čech, wearing now-familiar head protection, came out smartly to deny the forward. The Chelsea FC player's opposite number Stijn Stijnen was also alert in the 35th minute when palming away another Koller header.

Vanden Borre dismissed
With both coaches making numerous substitutions, the tempo dropped in the second half. Yet Koller remained the most dangerous player on the pitch, fizzing a header just wide of the post on the hour before setting up substitute Marek Kulič for the second in the 74th minute. Belgium's miserable night was completed moments later when Anderlecht defender Anthony Vanden Borre was sent off for pulling back the goal-bound Kulič.

Events and lineups

Belgium : Stijnen (70' Vandenbussche), Hoefkens (46' Vanden Borre), Van Buyten, Vermaelen (35' Simons), Van Der Heyden (46' Van Damme), Defour, Mudingayi, Fellaini, Daerden, Martens (75' Vandenbergh), Pieroni (63' Dembélé)

Goals : 7' Koller 0-1, 75' Kulic 0-2

Belgium - Poland (EC 2008 qualification match) on 15.11.2006

Result : 0-1

Poland moved into third place in Group A after securing a 1-0 victory over Belgium in Brussels. Striker Radoslaw Matusiak scored the winner in the first period as the Poles recorded a third success in five UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifiers to climb within a point of leaders Finland.

Stijnen beaten
Belgium coach René Vandereycken took the bold step of fielding goalkeeper Stijn Stijnen, who had broken a finger playing for Club Brugge KV at the weekend, but within 19 minutes Stijnen was picking the ball out of his net. Matusiak, who plays his club football for GKS Bełchatów, scored on his international debut against Serbia last month and here recorded his second goal in four appearances with a neat finish into the bottom corner from ten metres.

Few scoring opportunities
Defender Thomas Vermaelen shot straight at Poland keeper Artur Boruc from 20 metres shortly afterwards but in a game of few opportunities, that was about as close as Belgium came to an equaliser in the first half. At the other end Euzebiusz Smolarek fired wide from the edge of the box on 36 minutes and the same player almost doubled the Polish advantage in the closing stages only for Timmy Simons to block his goalbound effort.

Boruc denies Mpenza
Aiming to avert a second defeat in Group A, Daniel Van Buyten shot wide from just outside the Poland area and Boruc then denied Emile Mpenza a stoppage-time equaliser by keeping out the Belgium striker's attempt. While the hosts were booed off, there was plenty to smile about for Poland coach Leo Beenhakker who saw his charges build on an impressive victory over Portugal last month.

Events and lineups

Belgium : Stijnen, Vermaelen, Simons, Van Buyten, Hoefkens, Léonard (80' Mudingayi), Vanden Borre (45' Huysegems), Goor, Geraerts, Mpenza, Vandenbergh (62' Pieroni)

Poland : Boruc, Dudka (79' Murawski), Bronowicki, Wasilewski, Bak, Zewlakow, Sobolewski, Blaszczykowski, Smolarek, Zurawski (62' Gargula), Matusiak (89' Kazmierczak)

Goal : 19' Matusiak 0-1

Yellow cards : Gerarets (12'), Vermaelen (25'), Sobolewski (26'), Léonard (57'), Blaszczykowski (58'), Simons (88'), Goor (88')

Belgium - Azerbaijan (EC 2008 qualification match) on 11.10.2006

Result : 3-0

Substitute Moussa Dembélé claimed a goal and picked up a red card as Belgium eased to a comfortable win against Azerbaijan in UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifying Group A.

Second win
Timmy Simons opened the scoring from the spot in the first half before Kevin Vandenbergh made it two a minute after the restart. Dembélé registered a third with eight minutes remaining, but took the gloss off Belgium's second win of the campaign when he was dismissed for violent conduct. The result leaves Azerbaijan bottom of the group with just one point from four games, but they can have few complaints about the outcome.

In control
Vandenbergh provided an omen of what was to come for René Vandereycken's side after just three minutes, bringing a fine save from Farkhad Veliyev with an 16-metre drive, before Anthony Vanden Borre threatened a neat run and shot eight minutes later. Vandenbergh underlined Belgium's superiority by forcing Veliyev to tip his header around the post, before drawing a foul from the goalkeeper to earn a penalty on 24 minutes. Simons found the bottom corner from the spot and Belgium were in control.

Vandenbergh doubles lead
Emile Mpenza then shot over with the goal at his mercy and Zaur Gashimov did little better at the other end when Azerbaijan finally had a sniff of goal five minutes before the break. The score was looking flattering for the visitors but a minute after the break Vandenbergh latched on to Karel Geraerts' lay-off and put the Belgians 2-0 up.

Eventful finish
With seven minutes left Dembélé headed in a Bart Goor cross to seal the points, but in a contretemps following an Andre Ladaga foul on Goor, the scorer was sent off. He will now miss third-placed Belgium's 15 November encounter with Poland. Azerbaijan visit Poland next March.

Events and lineups

Belgium : Stijnen, Simons, Vermaelen, Vanden Borre (77' M. Mpenza), Léonard, Van Buyten, Hoefkens, Geraerts, (80' Mudingayi), Goor, E. Mpenza (70' Dembélé), Vandenbergh (86' Pieroni)

Azerbaijan : Veliyev, Gashimov (77' Nadyrov), Sokolov, Kerimov, Pereira, Ladaga, Muzika (33' Gurbanov), Sultanov (55' Dzavadov), Imamaliev, Chertoganov, Leandro Gomes

Goals : 24' Simons 1-0 (pen.), 47' Vandenbergh 2-0, 82' Dembélé 3-0

Yellow cards : Van Buyten (15'), Goor (16'), Veliyev (23'), Muzika (29'), Kerimov (88')

Red card : Dembélé (87')

Serbia - Belgium (EC 2008 qualification match) on 07.10.2006

Result : 1-0

Serbia's first home game as a separate nation was a happy affair as they moved to the top of UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifying Group A with victory against Belgium.

Žigić winner
Both these sides had four points from two outings at kick-off, and Finland's draw in Armenia earlier on meant a success would secure pole position for the winners in Belgrade. Nikola Žigić's 54th-minute goal ensured that the leaders would be Serbia.

Defence made to work
The hosts began brightly and Belgium's Germany-based central defence of Daniel Van Buyten and Vincent Kompany were kept busy in the opening stages, clearing and intercepting on several occasions. Aleksandar Trišović was first to threaten but shot over from distance, while at the other end Emile Mpenza, ending a year away from international football, carved out a chance but was denied in a crowded box by defender Mladen Krstajić.

Serbia breakthrough
Belgium goalkeeper Stijn Stijnen did well to keep out a Dejan Stanković free-kick and Trišović threatened twice more before the break, but the last opportunity of the first half fell to Van Buyten, who missed from five metres. Serbia resumed their superiority after the interval and Žigić finally broke through, shooting in following Trišović's pass.

Visitors come close
Now the visitors had to press and Carl Hoefkens turned a Moussa Dembélé centre on to the crossbar. Bart Goor and Mpenza also went close, while at the other end Nemanja Vidić hit the woodwork with a header. Serbia were hanging on, but after Belgium substitute Kevin Vandenbergh struck the upright in stoppage time, the win was sealed. Armenia come to Belgrade on Wednesday when Belgium welcome Azerbaijan.

Events and lineups

Belgium : Stijnen, Hoefkens, Kompany, Van Buyten, Vermaelen, Goor (84' Vandenbergh), Mudingayi (75'Pieroni), Simons, Geraerts, Dembélé (63' Mbo Mpenza), Emile Mpenza

Goal : 54' Zigic 1-0

Armenia - Belgium (EC 2008 qualification match) on 06.09.2006

Result : 0-1

A Daniel Van Buyten goal ensured Belgium returned to winning ways with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Armenia. René Vandereycken's team could only draw 0-0 with Kazakhstan in their opening UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifier on 16 August, yet they managed three points in Yerevan despite not having things all their own way.

Slow start
The Armenians, playing their first game in the section, held their own in an opening half-hour of limited opportunities. Midfielder Hamlet Mkhitaryan hit a left-footed shot over the bar for the hosts, while at the other end Luigi Pieroni and Karel Geraerts fired wide of Gevorg Kasparov's goal.

Pieroni denied
Samvel Melkonyan then sent a right-footed effort wide of Belgium keeper Stijn Stijnen before visiting forward Pieroni forced the first save of note in the 30th minute, Kasparov smothering his left-footed strike from outside the box. The Armenia custodian was called into action by the same player five minutes later, this time denying Pieroni with his feet.

Pressure pays off
R. Standard de Liège midfielder Geraerts then volleyed wide as the visitors continued to pepper the hosts' goal. The Belgians reaped the reward for their pressure four minutes before half-time when Van Buyten's header from Jelle Van Damme's cross found the top corner.

Belgium comfortable
In the second period, Feyenoord defender Pieter Collen was forced off through injury just before the hour, with Anderlecht's Anthony Vanden Borre coming on. Despite the enforced switch, the Belgians coped comfortably with Armenia's attemps to restore parity to secure the first win of their Group A campaign.

Events and lineups

Belgium : Stijnen, Collen (60' Vanden Borre), Hoefkens, Van Buyten, Van Damme, Englebert, Simons, Geraerts, Daerden (65' Goor), Dembele (77' Dufour), Pieroni

Goal: 41' Van Buyten 0-1

Yellow cards : Daerden, Van Damme, Vanden Borre, Pieroni, Khachatryan

Belgium - Kazakhstan (EC 2008 qualification match) on 16.08.2006

Result : 0-0

Belgium once more made a disappointing start to a qualifying campaign as they were held to a 0-0 draw by UEFA European Championship debutants Kazakhstan at the Constant Vanden Stock stadium in Brussels.

Good save
New coach René Vandereycken saw his side make a positive opening with Daniel Van Buyten firing a 16th-minute free-kick just wide, and fellow defender Vincent Kompany then stealing a march on two Kazakhstan defenders only for his shot to be well saved by David Loriya.

Penalty claim
Claims for a Belgium penalty were waved away after 31 minutes and there was another chance for the hosts to break the deadlock before the interval as a cross from Stein Huysegems – who had replaced the injured Kompany on 37 minutes – narrowly eluded both Bart Goor and Moussa Dembele.

Geraerts header
Kazakhstan had a good opportunity to make the breakthrough themselves as Nurbol Zhumaskaliyev scooped the ball over the crossbar from five metres, but the early stages of the second period again saw Belgium pressing forward with Loriya making another fine stop from Karel Geraerts's low header after 51 minutes.

Byakov denied
Belgium's Stijn Stijnen was called into action to deny Dmitriy Byakov as he surged through on goal, but Loriya continued to be the busier of the keepers. His goal led a charmed life as Luigi Pieroni, Geraerts, Thomas Buffel and Daniel Van Buyten all squandered chances.

'We deserved more'
"I think we deserved more, but the ball just did not want to go in," said Vandereycken. "We were not able to break down their organisation. It was not good enough but we cannot be negative just because the result was not good. We know that when we have to play fast football against a compact opponent, we get in trouble."




Events and lineups

Belgium : Stijnen, Vermaelen, Simons, Van Buyten, Kompany (38' Huysegems), Van Damme (60' Pieroni), Hoefkens (74' Vanden Borre), Goor, Buffel, Geraerts, Dembele

Kazakhstan : Loria, Kuchma, Smakov, Azovskiy, Karpovitch (54' Travin), Sergienko, Khokhlov, Byakov, Baltiev, Zhalmagambetov, Zhumaskaliyev

Yellow cards : Byakov (49'), Sergienko (55'), Smakov (60'), Baltiev (66')