PREVIEW
Rejuvenated Belgium hopes to banish the memories of a dismal 2022 World Cup campaign fraught with issues on and off the pitch and extend a 15-match unbeaten run in its European Championship Group E opener against Slovakia on Monday.
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The country’s golden generation was tarnished by a first-round exit in Qatar but, with several fresh faces in the team and some new energy, Belgium has been unbeaten since coach Domenico Tedesco took over in February last year.
Slovakia produced a pair of 4-0 wins over San Marino and Wales in warm-up fixtures but Belgium will be a step up in quality for Italian coach Francesco Calzona.
Experienced midfielder Juraj Kucka has overcome a shoulder problem that had kept him sidelined since April, while centre-back Denis Vavro has put a minor muscle problem behind him and is fit to play.
Belgium and Slovakia have met three times before, the last in 2013 when the former claimed a 2-1 home win. The two games before that both ended 1-1.
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Ahead of the big clash, Sportstar predicts the starting 11 of the two teams.
Belgium vs Slovakia Predicted XI
Belgium predicted starting lineup (3,4,2,1) : Casteels; Faes, Witsel, De Cuyper; Castagne, Mangala, Onana, Doku; Trossard, De Bruyne; Lukaku
Slovakia predicted starting lineup (4,3,3) : Dubravka; Pekarik, Vavro, Skriniar, Hancko; Kucka, Lobotka, Duda; Schranz, Bozenik, Haraslin
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